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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23586745">The Miraculous PA Marinette Dupain-Cheng</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/EternalSushine/pseuds/EternalSushine'>EternalSushine</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Miraculous Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - No Powers, Background Relationships, Bad Parent Gabriel Agreste, Childhood Memories, Drama, Dysfunctional Family, Emilie Agreste is Missing, Eventual Romance, F/M, Falling In Love, Family Issues, Fluff, Humor, Model Adrien Agreste, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Alternating, Romance, Slow Burn, Workplace Relationship</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 08:00:05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>20,482</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23586745</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/EternalSushine/pseuds/EternalSushine</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In a world with no superheroes Marinette is just your normal (but extremely talented) girl, with a celebrity crush and a dream of working in the fashion industry. What happens when said dream is about to come true and her crush is closer than ever before?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>57</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>81</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. A big interview</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It’s 6AM on a Saturday and Marinette is up. If she still lived with her parents her mother might have asked her what she had done to her daughter. Marinette was always late and sleeping in you see. But not today! Today was very important to Marinette. She would put the apron down and move onto the world that she had always dreamed of entering. The world of fashion.</p><p>As Marinette brushed her teeth she stared at herself in the mirror. She knew that she had to look extra professional and put together. The fashion house she was interviewing for was the biggest name in Paris, if not the whole of France. An internship at Agreste Fashion House could lead to actual designing gigs and a full time job as a designer at almost any fashion house in the western world. </p><p>Marinette spat out the toothpaste and rinsed her mouth, giving herself a wide toothy grin in the mirror. Seven years of braces in elementary and middle school had really paid off as her pearly whites were lined up perfectly. She then tied her hair back into a professional ponytail and put on some lipgloss and mascara. Her makeup skills weren’t on the same level as her friends Juleka or Rose and definitely not on the same level as her best friend Alyas.<br/>
A quick glance at the clock and Marinette was feeling her nerves get the best of her. Even though she got up this early didn’t mean she would make the interview at 8AM, on the other side of the city. She always seemed to have some bad luck when it came to something important. She had spilled coffee on her application to Paris Fashion Institute a few years back and then a few weeks later her portfolio got rained on as she was just about to send it in. By the grace of God or some other entity she still got in, but she was reminded of her bad luck by the headmistress who seemed to have something against her. </p><p>Marinette threw on her coat and rushed outside, hailing a cab and telling the driver to take her to the Agreste headquarters. She fiddled with her fingers and looked out the window, seeing the buildings pass her by with leafy green trees that lined the sidewalks. After a long taxi drive she paid the driver and got off. Everything was going well so far, kind of suspicious. Maybe lady luck was on her side today. </p><p>The glistening white building clashed with its surroundings. The Agreste Fashion House was the epitome of modern architecture, with steel accents and big windows that served as mirrors to the pedestrians outside. Marinette took a deep breath in and walked through the big front doors. Everything was bright and white, with potted greenery here and there and a screen that showed the newest photoshoot pictures.</p><p>“Miss Dupain-Cheng?” a stern voice said behind her.</p><p>“Huh? Oh, yes! I mean, that would be me, Marinette”, Marinette rambled as her eyes settled on the tall woman behind her.</p><p>“Nathalie Sancoeur. I am here to take you to be interviewed for the position of…” The woman was cut off by a flash of pink that made her lose focus.</p><p>That flash of pink was Alix, who was currently rollerskating in circles in the lobby with security on her tail. Alix made it back to the doors and yelled good luck to Marinette, who was pink in her face.</p><p>“Do you know her?” Nathalie asked Marinette who shrunk down.</p><p>“Eh… Yes? I mean no! I mean…”, Marinette fumbled, not knowing if this was one of those times when a white lie wouldn’t hurt even though she hated lying.</p><p>“Let’s go then, follow me”, Nathalie said, completely ignoring poor Marinette and her inner battle.</p><p>Marinette straightened her back and followed Nathalie into the elevator. She watched as the number got higher and higher until it reached the second to the top floor, 7. The two women walked out of the elevator and Nathalie opened the first door to their left. </p><p>“Wait here”, Nathalie said and left as soon as Marinette had sat down on one of the designer faux leather chairs.</p><p>Marinette didn’t have time to ask Nathalie why she had to wait here alone or why she was brought so high up when the designer level was a few floors down. At least that’s what it said on the floor plan in the elevator. She gazed around and she could see people walking outside, some on their way to work and others on a run. It wasn’t too busy, it was only 7.55 AM on a Saturday after all. Time went by painfully slowly and Marinette started to fear the worst. What if this was all a prank? A cruel prank orchestrated by some rich kids with too much time and money on their hands.</p><p>“Are you here for the interview?” A light, melodic voice called out and Marinette jumped up off her chair.</p><p>“Yes, Marinette Dupain-Cheng’s the name”, she said and cringed internally. Why did she have to be so nervous.</p><p>“Great, you know it’s super hard to find candidates for this job that have such a great resume as you do”, the lady said while looking down at a tablet. “Top student at Collège Francoise Dupont, studied at Paris Fashion Institute and graduated with honors”, she read off her tablet and looked up at Marinette.</p><p>“Uh, thank you, miss?” Marinette looked at the woman sheepishly.</p><p>“Oh, sorry, I didn’t introduce myself! My name is Samantha Melrose”, the supposed interviewer said and extended her hand to Marinette, which she took.</p><p>“Now that we got that done, how about we get some coffee and get down to business”, Samantha said and she put her tablet down, smiling at Marinette.</p><p>Marinettes nerves seemed to wash away as the interview continued. She got to talk about her fashions, her extracurricular activities that had made her who she is today and her schedule. Totally free, by the way.</p><p>When Marinette took the elevator back down she felt relieved and hopeful. Samantha seemed nice and she hoped that they would be working together soon. That is if she got the job. Marinette took out her phone and saw that she had gotten texts from all her friends, wishing her luck and telling her that she would get the job if the employer was smart. She smiled to herself and sent thank you messages back to each and every one of them. </p><p>It was now 9.30 AM, the interview had taken longer than what she had initially thought, but she still had time to catch the subway and meet Alya at her parents bakery before 10. Sometimes she was really grateful of the public transport in Paris. </p><p>Alya was waiting for Marinette in front of the Dupain-Cheng Boulangerie, with her nose deep in her phone. Marinette mused that she was probably texting her boyfriend Nino or maybe she was reading her favourite superhero comic Ladybug and Chat Noir. </p><p>“Hey Alya!” Marinette walked up to her bestie and with her finger she lowered the phone from Alyas face. “You ready for late breakfast?”</p><p>“Mari! You won’t believe what I just read”, Alya practically screamed and pushed her phone to Marinettes face.</p><p>It took a few seconds for Marinettes eyes to focus on the screen, but the headline immediately caught her attention.</p><p>MODEL ADRIEN AGRESTE SPOTTED IN PARIS</p><p>“They are talking about him having a more active role in the business side of things now that he’s 21”, Alya said as she pulled the phone back and put it into her pocket.</p><p>“Adriens back from the States?” Marinette asked with excitement in her voice.</p><p>“I know he’s your number one celebrity crush so I thought you’d want to know ASAP”, Alya said as she opened the door to Tom and Sabines bakery.</p><p>“Adriens back from the States…” Marinette said as she walked inside, completely lost in her thoughts.</p><p>“Well hello to you too, Marinette”, Sabine said with a smirk as she put a plate full of fresh pastries down on the corner table that Marinette and Alya frequented.</p><p>“Good morning Sabine, Tom”, Alya said cheerily and grabbed a warm ham and cheese filled croissant. </p><p>“Good morning Alya, did you get any details about our princesses big interview before she shut down?” Tom boomed from behind the counter as Sabine was ringing down a client.</p><p>“Didn’t quite get to it yet. Just wait a few minutes, she won’t stay in the clouds forever”, Alya said as she munched on the croissant.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you for reading this far! This is my first fanfiction since 2014 and I am very excited to get back into it. I hope you'll enjoy the fruits of my labour and continue reading as the story continues.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Green kitchens and black umbrellas</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Marinette comes face to face with a person from her past and meets a mysterious gentleman.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Alya was starting to get worried. It had been five minutes since Marinette had read the article about Adrien being back and she was still in a daze. She waved a fresh bun in her face and called out to her.</p>
<p>“Earth to Mari”, Alya sang to her with a hint of embarrassment. </p>
<p>“Adriens back from the States”, Marinette finally stated and took the bun from Alya. </p>
<p>“So he is”, Alya said and stared at her friend. “Are you going to tell me about the interview or not?” </p>
<p>“It went well”, Marinette said and smiled at her bestie. “I wouldn’t say it was bad. I was pretty nervous”.</p>
<p>Alya laughed a little. “You shouldn’t be! You’re a top student and really motivated. Your designs are inspired and you know it”, Alya praised Marinette.</p>
<p>“You’re just saying that because you’re my best friend”, Marinette mumbled while her cheeks and ears started to heat up.</p>
<p>“Cross my heart and hope to die, I am not talking out of my ass right now”, Alya grinned and swung her arm across Marinettes shoulders.</p>
<p>“You’re always nervous at first but then you get over it and shine. Just like you did when you won class president two years in a row in lycee”, Alya reminded her.</p>
<p>Marinette smiled slightly and took a big bite of her bun. She was grateful for having such a supportive best friend. “Is Nino joining us today?” Marinette asked as she reached for her coffee.</p>
<p>“Well here’s the thing… You know how we have been thinking about moving in together? Nino and I”, Alya said and looked quite apologetic.</p>
<p>“Yeah. You had that open house thing coming up”, Marinette said as she sipped her coffee.</p>
<p>“Yeah about that, it’s today. At two. And we thought that it would be just the two of us. I would love for you to come with us but it’s a big step for us”, she said while playing with her fork.</p>
<p>“It’s okay Alya”, Marinette laughed. “Of course you can go together, it’s not like I would be offended by not getting to third wheel”, she added.</p>
<p> Alya hugged Marinette tightly. “You know I will still keep you up to date with all the details while we look around”, she said.</p>
<p>“Oh I’m counting on it!” Marinette hugged her back just as tightly.</p>
<p>Sabine walked over and asked the two if they would be able to make a drop for the bakery when they leave. Marinette was happy to help her family out whenever she could so she agreed with glee.</p>
<p>The two put the rest of the pastries in small paper bags and packed up. Marinette took the parcel with the bread and the duo made their way outside. </p>
<p>“Let me know when you get the job”, Alya said.</p>
<p>“You mean if I get the job”, Marinette corrected her.</p>
<p>“I meant what I said”, Alya smirked and stuck out her tongue. “See you later”, she said and the two parted ways.</p>
<p>As Marinette walked the cobble streets of Paris she was brought back to high school. When she would walk the same route every day to school and back. She had enjoyed high school for the majority of her time there. The last year was quite painful because a certain Lila Rossi had decided to pick Mari as her personal tormentee, but she got transferred to a new school after four months. Supposedly she left to London, but Marinette knew how much Lila loved to lie back in the day so it wouldn’t surprise her if she actually just went to a school elsewhere in Paris. </p>
<p>The delivery address was right next to her old school building which was currently empty, but you could see some kids playing ball in the courtyard. Marinette rang the bell and waited downstairs for someone to get the door. To her displeasure that someone was her old bully Lila.</p>
<p>“Marinette Dupain-Cheng? Still a lowly delivery girl I see”, Lila grinned. “You know, some would think it’s cute how you’re in the family biz… I’m not one of those people”.</p>
<p>“You ordered bread?” Marinette asked, not letting Lilas words get to her, even though the girl was a major pain in the ass. </p>
<p>“Oh it’s not for me. It’s for my fiancé”, Lila showed off her huge engagement ring. “Leopold Strass, he’s the Austrian counts son”, she gloated.</p>
<p>“Congrats Lila”, Marinette said with next to no emotion in her voice. “The bread is 6 euro plus delivery so 8 euro”, she said and extended her hand for cash.</p>
<p>Lila took out a credit card and looked Marinette up and down. </p>
<p>“Don’t say you don’t have a credit card reader? Your parents bakery is so old school”, she amused.</p>
<p>“No, we do have one of those”, Marinette smirked and took the machinery from her bag. </p>
<p>Lila rolled her eyes, paid for the bread and took the package from Marinette. </p>
<p>“You should totally come to our engagement party! That is if you’re not too busy being a delivery girl”, Lila cackled as she close the door on Marinette.</p>
<p>“She hasn’t changed much”, Marinette sighed and turned around to walk back to the bakery. She felt drops of water on her forehead and nose and she sighed even louder. “Not now!”</p>
<p>Marinette rushed to the nearest bus stop where she was safe from the rain and she looked around for anything to hold on top of her head so she could get home. The bus would be another option, but none went right by the boulangerie.</p>
<p>As she was contemplating her fate a black limo slowed down next to the bus stop. The tinted window lowered but Mari still couldn’t see who was inside.</p>
<p>“Need an umbrella?” A male voice asked.</p>
<p>Marinette nodded slightly. </p>
<p>“Here”, the mans hand appeared from the car window with a black umbrella. </p>
<p>“Oh, thank you! How can I get it back to you, sir?” Marinette asked and tried to get a peek of the mystery gentleman.</p>
<p>“Don’t worry about it”, the voice said and Marinette could hear the smile in his words. </p>
<p>The car speeded off and Marinette was left wondering who had given her the umbrella. Her heart beat was strong in her chest, while she held the umbrella close to her. She then opened it and continued her way back to her parents bakery, with a silly grin on her face and a hop in her step.</p>
<p>The rest of the day went by like a bullet train. Marinette got home and she took out her sketchbook and started sketching some designs for a pair of trousers. It was about 3PM when her phone dinged.</p>
<p>Alya to Me<br/>So the kitchen is green. GREEN.</p>
<p>Marinette chuckled and typed back a response.</p>
<p>Me to Alya<br/>Ew. So gross.</p>
<p>Alya to Me<br/>Maybe I can forgive it. The place has hardwood floors.</p>
<p>Me to Alya<br/>Ooh fancy! Do you think you can see yourself cooking in the kitchen?</p>
<p>Alya to Me<br/>More like can I see Nino cooking in the kitchen :D<br/>And that would be a yes</p>
<p>Me to Alya<br/>lmao good sign</p>
<p>Alya to Me<br/>Laugh all you want, but the man can cook! This apartment isn’t bad btw. Close to the radio station where Nino works and the metro is only 400m</p>
<p>Me to Alya<br/>If you don’t get the place together then Nino might get it alone</p>
<p>Alya to Me<br/>OK I can get over the green kitchen. We’re making an offer!</p>
<p>Me to Alya<br/>CONGRATULATIONS ALYA + NINO &lt;3</p>
<p>Marinette grinned and put her phone down, knowing that Alya was probably all over Nino by now. Those two had more passion than your average telenovela.</p>
<p>It was now 8PM and Marinette had abandoned her sketch and was currently watching season 5 of RuPauls Drag Race. Laying on her bed with a bowl of popcorn she critiqued the runway. Rose and Juleka had got her into the show in lycee and she would rewatch it annually.</p>
<p>The judges comments were interrupted by Marinettes phone going off. Marinette reached for her phone lazily and looked at the contact info. Unknown?</p>
<p>“Marinette Dupain-Cheng” she answered warily.</p>
<p>“Hello, it’s Samantha Melrose from Agreste Fashion House”, Marinette immediately paused her show and rubbed her oily fingers to her pajama bottoms.</p>
<p>“Oh hi!” Marinette said and bit her tongue to keep her from squealing.</p>
<p>“I’d like to personally congratulate you on getting the position of personal assistant”, Samantha said, sounding very happy.</p>
<p>“Thank you Samantha, I’m really gratefu- wait, personal assistant?” Marinettes enthusiasm was halted.</p>
<p>“Yes, that’s the position you interviewed for this morning, remember?” Samantha answered.</p>
<p>Marinette wasn’t sure of what to say next. She gathered up her thoughts and courage.</p>
<p>“There must be a mistake, I applied to be an intern in the designing team”, she said and balled her free hand into a fist.</p>
<p>“Oh, you’re sure?” Samantha asked and Marinette could hear papers rustling on the other end. </p>
<p>“Yes, I think so. I was double checking the application before sending it in”, Marinette said and chewed on her free thumb.</p>
<p>“I have your application here Marinette, and it says you’re looking for a job as a personal assistant”, Samantha said. “That’s the box you checked in the online form”.</p>
<p>Marinette knew things had gone too well. “Oh, silly me. I was so sure I picked the right one”, she said while being embarrassed.</p>
<p>“But you know Marinette, I think you would be great for the position. And I can vouch for the job including a lot of fashion! I was a personal assistant here for two years and am moving onto marketing soon”, Samantha stated.</p>
<p>“It would be okay even though I didn’t apply for this position? I could still become a designer at Agreste Fashion House?” Marinette asked.</p>
<p>“Well you did apply for the position, just not on purpose. It will be our little secret”, Samantha mused. “I think you would be the best replacement for me, you’re personable and responsible despite this small fumble”.</p>
<p>“Thank you… I don’t know anything about being a personal assistant though”, Marinette admitted.</p>
<p>“I’ll be training you for the first week, don’t worry. Think of me as your first ally at Agreste”, Samantha said and that made Marinette smile.</p>
<p>“Okay, thanks Samantha”, Marinette said and wrote down what she needed for her first shift and when she’d be starting. </p>
<p>Marinettes mistake had lead to some bad news: She didn’t become a fashion intern. But it also gave her some good news: She still got a job at Agreste Fashion House. Maybe fate had something else in store for her after all.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hey everyone! I was trying to wait it out to post this chapter on a later date but I seem to have 0 patience. Hope you like it! I really enjoy writing Lila and Marinette together. Lila gives me total Regina George vibes in my head canonical writing. Tell me what you think :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. A whole lot of coffee</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>It's Marinette's first day of work, and she's going in positive. How long will it last?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After researching personal assistant qualities and how the job worked for the rest of the weekend Marinette was feeling ready to take on the challenge. She had her personal planner on her, a pack of wipes and her phone. She was told that she would be shadowing Samantha as she showed her the ropes and it would all start today at 11AM with a tour of the building.</p>
<p>Marinette went through her closet and pulled out fitted jeans and a light pink dress shirt. She was told that as a personal assistant she had to look clean but she didn’t necessarily need a suit like what Nathalie preferred. Marinette wondered whom she would be the personal assistant of. If they would be nice to her.</p>
<p>Marinette had her morning cafe au lait and some avocado toast, before painting her nails a nice matching pink. She wanted to look put together while working at a fashion house. Her phone rang and without looking she knew exactly who it would be.</p>
<p>“Hey Alya”, Marinette smirked as she answered. “Did you have your last words of encouragement for me?” </p>
<p>“Hey girl! You know I do. You’ve got this, you’ll go make that job your bitch”, Alya said.</p>
<p>“Thanks”, Marinette laughed. “I’m keeping my head up, being positive you know? It’s not a fashion internship but it’s still a job at Agrestes”.</p>
<p>“Call me after your shift ends?” Alya asked.</p>
<p>“Sure thing! Bye”, Marinette sing songed as she put on her high heels and ended the call. Shiny black stiletto heels made her legs look longer than they were and as she looked at herself in the mirror she felt beautiful. That’s a good confidence boost. She grabbed her keys and walked down the steps to get outside of her apartment building. She walked to the nearest bus stop since today she wasn’t in a rush. She plugged her headphones in and listened to music for the whole ride to the stop closest to the Agreste Fashion House. </p>
<p>The last 300 metres were a pain since the sun was blazing although it was already the start of fall. Marinette held her hand to shadow her eyes and she kept a fast pace. She went through the front doors and lowered her hand. She knew Samantha would be waiting somewhere in the lobby for her with a new badge for her. It didn’t take her long to spot her.</p>
<p>“Good day Samantha”, Marinette said as she got next to her.</p>
<p>“Good day indeed! Here’s your badge. You’ll get a new one tomorrow with your photo”, Samantha said and held a coffee cup to her lips. “Since it’s lunch time most people are out right now so it’s a good chance to give you the tour without distracting others too much”, she said before taking a sip.</p>
<p>“Do I have to know every floor?” Marinette asked coyly.</p>
<p>“I’m afraid so. Mr. Agreste could need something from a designer or marketer so it’s good to know where everyone is stationed at”, Samantha said as she finished her coffee. “Let’s start at the bottom and work our way to the top. This is the lobby area. If someone has a delivery it will have to be collected here no matter what it is, no outsiders can go above level 0 without permission”, Samantha explained.</p>
<p>Marinette listened and took notes on her phone so she could remember it later. </p>
<p>The first floor was accounting. Samantha warned Marinette that she did not want to make too many trips here since that usually meant that someone had made a mistake or that she’d have to listen to some boring speech about finances.</p>
<p>The second floor was PR, which was very busy. Apparently Marinette should really get to know the people here if she wanted to know the ins and outs of the fashion industry. Everyone there had connections somewhere impressive. </p>
<p>The third floor was marketing. The marketing team greeted Samantha and Marinette cheerily. “Believe it or not, marketing is not like Mad Men”, Samantha said as they walked around the offices. “A lot of us are graphic designers but some work more on the photo shoots and ad campaigns. But the majority actually negotiate ad space”, Samantha explained in excitement.</p>
<p>The fourth and fifth floors were full of designers and tailors and other jacks of the trades. You could hear the sewing machines whirring as people were making the first physical drafts and some actual garments. Marinette felt right at home and she exchanged numbers with one of the fashion interns, in hopes of getting coffee some time.</p>
<p>The sixth floor was more on the business side, if you can believe that there's anything more to do on that side after accounting, marketing and PR. Apparently there was a lot more going on behind the scenes. Investors, meetings for collaborations, HR etc. Marinette was a little frightened by this.</p>
<p>And finally the seventh floor. Samantha said that although there was an eight floor, Marinette shouldn’t worry about that. It was Agreste access only, with the exception of Nathalie and bodyguards. Marinette was curious what the seventh floor was for. When she came here earlier she only saw one of the offices that seemed to be only for more casual meetings.</p>
<p>“You’ll finally get to meet Mr. Agreste, isn’t that exciting?” Samantha asked and Marinette gulped. She wasn’t sure if she’d meet Gabriel Agreste, and definitely thought it wouldn’t happen on the first day. </p>
<p>The main doors opened to a huge office space that looked like it was ripped straight out of a movie or a magazine. At the table there was a high backed chair and someone was sitting there but Marinette couldn’t see them just yet.</p>
<p>“I know father… Yes father… I’ll keep that in mind father…”, the man in the chair said as he was talking on the phone. “Oh, I think my new assistant is here. Yes father we will continue this discussion later”, the voice said, sounding a little defeated.</p>
<p>The chair turned around and Marinette was met by two mesmerizingly green eyes. She froze on the spot, now understanding who it was.</p>
<p>“Nice to meet you new girl, my name is Adrien Agreste”, Adrien said as he got up to shake Marinettes hand.</p>
<p>“H-hi”, Marinette stuttered as she took his hand and she felt her soul exit her body.</p>
<p>“Mr. Agreste, this is Marinette Dupain-Cheng. I hand picked her for this position myself. I believe she will prove to be a great asset”, Samantha said all business like.</p>
<p>“C’mon Sam, you know you can call me Adrien. Mr. Agreste is my dad”, Adrien laughed and took a look at Marinette.</p>
<p>Marinette felt like she could just melt into a puddle right there and then. She didn’t know she would be Adriens personal assistant! Curse you lady luck!</p>
<p>“Can I call you Marinette or do you prefer to be called Dupain-Cheng?” Adrien asked with a striking smile on his face.</p>
<p>“Yes”, Marinette said while staring at him.</p>
<p>“Yes to which one?” Adrien chuckled and kept his eyes on the bluebell.</p>
<p>“Marinette! You can call me Marinette… Dupain-Cheng can be long”, Marinette mumbled and looked down.</p>
<p>“Great. I prefer to be casual as well”, Adrien said as he finally looked away from Marinette. “I didn’t know if you were allergic to anything so I didn’t get you flowers, but I hope you won’t mind a potted plant”, he added as he gestured to Marinettes desk.</p>
<p>That’s right. Marinette had a desk in Adriens office. And he had gotten her flowers! Or meant to, but the potted plant was very cute too. Marinette smiled and thanked him, while saying that it was very thoughtful of him.</p>
<p>“When I first started as his PA he got me a bouquet of flowers as a welcoming gift but I had an allergic reaction to the pollen, so I think that might be why you’ve got a succulent”, Samantha informed Marinette who felt a little disappointed. So he was just really nice and polite to all members of his staff. Figures. Marinette should really brush up on her etiquette.</p>
<p>Marinette got to her desk where she saw a bunch of different stationary items. The heart shaped post it notes caught her eye. “Hearts?” She mused as she picked up the pack.</p>
<p>“Yeah, mister hopeless romantic here just couldn’t help himself when I told him they made them in this shape”, Samantha laughed.</p>
<p>“I was just bored of the same old yellow square”, Adrien mumbled and ran his hand through his hair.</p>
<p>Marinette let out a light giggle and nodded. “I get what you mean”, she said as she put down the post-its. </p>
<p>At least Marinette now knew that Adrien was really as nice as she had always imagined. Would it be weird to work for the man that you’ve dreamed of since middle school? She still felt awkward, but her trusty mind exercises would help her get through this! Adrien just smiled at her before his phone rang again. </p>
<p>“I have to get that”, he said and sat back down.</p>
<p>Who would’ve known models had their own offices. Or maybe the tabloids were correct and Adrien was going to be more involved in the business now. That would explain a whole floor for his use, being the heir of the company and all.</p>
<p>Samantha lowered her voice. “Maybe you should learn the basics now, like his coffee order”, she said and smirked. “Yes, you will be getting him coffee”.</p>
<p>Marinette knew it was a part of the job but she had hoped that she wouldn’t have to get anyone coffee ever again after working for a coffee shop while studying at the Paris Fashion Institute. “What does he get?” She asked Samantha.</p>
<p>“A medium sized black coffee”, Samantha answered and Marinette was a little underwhelmed. </p>
<p>“Just black coffee?” She questioned.</p>
<p>“It’s a part of his diet. No sugar”, Samantha explained.</p>
<p>Marinette nodded and wrote down the address for the coffee shop that Adrien liked and made her way downstairs. The walk to the cafe wasn’t too long, but if she had to make this trip multiple times a day she would be looking forward to calves of steel.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hello reader! So we finally met Adrien, exciting times. Next chapter will be from his point of view, so look forward to that. I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, and some of you know that writing isn't always all that fun to do. I really like writing fumbling Mari.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. There's work to do</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Adriens life is stressful. Do I need to say more?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Samantha sat down on Adriens desk and looked at the young man who was currently talking to some figure head of some department somewhere that didn’t quite interest her, or Adrien for that matter. Adrien had grown fond of Samantha as she’d been his personal assistant for two years now, and he had started to see her as his big sister. </p>
<p>She was three years older than Adrien and had always been a ball buster. Her auburn hair was always in a neat bun on her head and it mystified Adrien to no end, as he knew how much that woman would run around no matter what the weather was. He was sad to see her go, but he was curious about the new girl.</p>
<p>Marinette Dupain-Cheng was her name? Yes, that was it. A nice name, Adrien thought. She seemed pretty nervous but who wouldn’t be on their first day. Hell, Adrien still got the nerves when going to photoshoots. Especially the more risque ones.</p>
<p>On Adriens 21st birthday his father had handed him a business agenda and he was told that he would have to start learning the ways of the family business. It had been a punch in the gut. Ever since his mom had gone missing it was no longer a happy family environment for him. His dad was cold and distant. Adrien was sure he cared and wanted the best for him, but his birthday was a big deal for him. And his dad didn’t even congratulate him.</p>
<p>As the call came to its end Adrien noticed the doors open. Marinette stumbled in with some coffee in one hand and a big bag in the other. </p>
<p>“Nathalie gave this to me for you. Apparently it’s books”, Marinette said as she gently laid the bag on a side table and put the coffee on Adriens desk.</p>
<p>“Again?” Adrien couldn’t help but voice out his displeasure. “Thank you”, Adrien quickly added, knowing that the bag would have been very heavy and Marinette looked like she got a little winded carrying it.</p>
<p>Marinette just stood there like she was expecting something. Adrien furrowed his brows. “Do you need something?” He asked.</p>
<p>“Oh, no! I just thought you might have something you want me to do. I read that I shouldn’t bother my employer with too much talking and just wait for orders”, Marinette was turning red and Adriens look softened.</p>
<p>“It’s okay. If you have anything to ask, just ask. Even if it’s for an assignment”, he said and took out some forms. “You could help me with these. My lawyer usually reads through these but this time he forgot to put tabs on where I need to sign”, he gave the pile of papers to Marinette.</p>
<p>“Just tabs?” Marinette asked.</p>
<p>Adrien nodded. He could see that Marinette was not used to being a PA. Starting off with easier tasks while Samantha was still around seemed smart. Giving her responsibility over his schedule cold turkey seemed like too much for a first day.</p>
<p>Samantha went to Marinette to show her the computer interface and how the online planner worked and that gave Adrien time to look through the books.</p>
<p>The Art of Business, How To Be a Leader, Fashion Industry Confidential, Business 101 etc. It seemed like a bunch of hacks just wrote books to cash in, but Adrien had to read them. It’s not like Adrien would be sent to actual business school to learn. No, that would make it impossible for his father to keep an eye on him.</p>
<p>As the clock neared eight in the evening, it seemed like the time to send the girls home and continue on his own.</p>
<p>Adrien gazed at the two. Samantha was looking through some paperwork for her transfer and Marinettes eyes were glued to the screen as she was seemingly memorizing his schedule for the week. She covered her mouth as she yawned and in the process she knocked over the pencil holder. She quickly started to gather the pencils while crouched near the ground. She looked like she was afraid she’d get yelled at for a small mistake. Adrien didn’t know whether to be amused or hurt by that idea.</p>
<p> “Sam, Marinette, you can go home now”, Adrien said and thanked them for their hard work. </p>
<p>“Oh and Marinette, I hope you put me in your contacts already. I don’t think I’ll need you to do anything else tonight but for the future”, he said as he stretched his arms back. “I’ll see you both tomorrow”, he looked at the two women who were putting on their coats.</p>
<p>“I-I will. Thank you”, Marinette said and soon the two were on their way home. </p>
<p>Adrien sighed and leaned back on his chair. He didn’t know if things would work with this new girl. She seemed way too timid. Marinette was smart, that he could see, and her motivation was refreshing. But he was so used to having Samantha know exactly what he needed and when he needed it that he didn’t know if he had it in him to add going slower for awhile when he already had so much on his plate. </p>
<p>He knew he wasn’t being exactly fair with his expectations, but the man was burnt out. With morning photoshoots almost every morning to having to study business he didn’t have time for a social life. He never did. His only friend was Chloe, but ever since they had turned 18 their public lives had to be severed due to her party girl lifestyle. It was a shame, Chloe and Adrien did have their fair share of fun together.</p>
<p>A look at his schedule for the next week was enough to give Adrien a headache. Photoshoots on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. A meeting with Tsurugis on Wednesday and a business lunch on Thursday. Add to that the fact that he had to read those darn books and do research for his father on “predicting and influencing trends in the modern society”.</p>
<p>Adrien closed his eyes and he could see his mother smiling at him with a small cat in her lap. Tears started to form in his eyes as the dread of knowing that his mother wasn’t there anymore filled him. If she was here right now she would know exactly how to calm him down. </p>
<p>He swallowed his tears and rubbed his eyes. This wasn’t the time to get sad over something that won’t change. He had work to do. </p>
<p>He packed his things into his bag and decided to do the last of his work from home. It would otherwise be very late when he got home. He called his driver and turned off the lights on his floor. In the dark the place looked so sterile, it was sad. </p>
<p>Adrien got into the private car and sunk into his seat. The cars humming was calming for Adriens nerves. He stared out of the window at the street lights and the people who were still out. He saw people go into nightclubs and restaurants. Groups of people who were laughing and having fun together. Couples walking hand in hand and keeping close in the chilly night air.</p>
<p>A smile crept up on Adriens face. Even if he was jealous he was comforted by the sense of community and happiness that he could feel just looking at these people. He hoped that one day he could be like them and spend time with people he considered friends.</p>
<p>Soon the car was parked in front of his family mansion and Adrien was far away from that nightlife that seemed so promising. He got out of the car and walked inside the huge mansion without looking back.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>How did ya'll like Adriens POV? I liked writing from his perspective and am awaiting for the next chance to write his inner monologue. Next chapter is back to Mari though :D These chapters have been a little short, but I hope that you don't mind. I'm writing these chapters everyday so that you don't have to wait weeks between updates. Please feel free to share your thoughts and if you like my fic so far you can bookmark it. I like reading your comments and they really give me the motivation to write more for you :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Photoshoot shenanigans</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Marinette gets her first taste of the fashion industry at a fashion photoshoot for a new collection, and she proves to be a somewhat capable PA.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As Marinette got home from work she collapsed onto her bed. If she had known that she would have to be Adrien Agrestes personal assistant she would’ve never taken the job. </p>
<p>“I can’t have a crush on a man that I work for… It’s not professional”, she said as she rolled on her stomach and laid her face on the pillow. “It’s not like I even know him”, she mumbled to herself.</p>
<p>The next morning Marinette was up early. According to Adriens week planner today was a photoshoot day, and she needed to go to the studio to help him out with anything and everything. </p>
<p>The thought of seeing Adrien model in real life was enough to frustrate Marinette to no end. She was supposed to be getting over her crush on him, not seeing him look absolutely beautiful as he was surrounded by models who had legs for days. </p>
<p>Marinette shook herself from her thoughts and threw on some beige fitted pants and paired them up with a flowy white blouse with embroidered flowers on the hemlines. She opted out of wearing heels. Her legs were already blistering from yesterday.  Not a cute look. Or very comfortable.</p>
<p>She took a look at her new badge that had her photo on it. It was painfully obvious that she was out of her element in the photograph. She was tense and she wasn’t even smiling. To be fair, they did take the photo in one take.</p>
<p>It was driving Marinette crazy that she couldn’t tell her family or friends whose personal assistant she was. It was part of the non-disclosure agreement she signed when she started working. All she wanted was to tell Alya and have her give her advice on what to do about the situation. Alya was so good at giving advice. She had helped Ivan and Mylene get through a rough patch in their last year of highschool when they were stressing over universities and the possibility of long distance. </p>
<p>Because of Nino and Alyas relationship, Marinette always had someone to look to when it came to a functional dynamic. The two had always seemed to be on the same page. From their first date on it was obvious that it would last. And what was great was that Marinette never felt like an outsider when hanging out with them because they’d been friends before the two got into a relationship and Alya made sure to keep the making out to a minimum.</p>
<p>Marinette knew nothing could come out her and Adrien. He wouldn’t even look her way, she was sure of it. Alya did always say that she should stop fantasising about the model and start looking at people who were available and, well, attainable. That was Marinettes new mission! Looking elsewhere.</p>
<p>Marinette had to take two different buses and walk for a few miles to get to the photoshoot studio. When she got there she was relieved to find out that Adrien was still on his way. Marinette looked around and put her coat on a free chair. Some other models were getting their hair and makeup done while the photographer was setting up.</p>
<p>The clothes were hanging on the wall and Marinette took in all the detail. She had never been this close to an actual Agreste Fashion House piece. They were always too expensive for her budget. A white coat that had ribbing on the shoulders and waist was hanging closest to the set. It was supposed to be paired with white leather pants that had similar ribbing.</p>
<p>“Morning everyone”, a familiar voice said and Marinette turned around to see Adrien walk in. </p>
<p>“Good morning Agreste junior”, some of the crew said and soon Adrien was surrounded by fellow models and makeup artists.</p>
<p>“Can someone get me the translucent powder?” The makeup artist who was currently sitting Adrien down on a makeup station asked.</p>
<p>Marinette looked around and found a container that said “invisible powder” and she picked it up. “You mean this?” She asked and gave it to the makeup artist.</p>
<p>The makeup artist didn’t say anything and just got right to work. It was crazy that anyone could look at Adrien and think that he needed any makeup to make him look ‘more perfect’. </p>
<p>“Morning Marinette”, Adrien said and looked at the girl through the mirror. </p>
<p>Marinette smiled at Adrien and greeted him in turn. “Did you get everything done yesterday or do you need me to do something while you’re in makeup?” She asked. She wanted any reason to not watch Adrien right now.</p>
<p>“I guess you could answer some emails for me”, he said as he had to look up for some eyeliner. “You can answer ones about meetings and photoshoots, make time for them in my schedule. You can sit here and do it”, he said and patted the seat next to his.</p>
<p>Marinette cursed her luck. Hopefully the emails would be so immersive she wouldn’t have time to stare at Adrien. Looking through Adriens business email was a nightmare. It seemed that he got hundreds of emails a day about meetings and photoshoots alone. Add to that the business emails that demanded some actual looking into, it would take Adrien hours to go through them without help.</p>
<p>The first time Marinette dared to tear her eyes from the emails was when Adrien was ready with his makeup. It was a very editorial look, with his hair styled to look wet and his eyes lined with dark kohl. Marinette was speechless. How did they turn Adrien Agreste into a punk rocker with just makeup? </p>
<p>“How do I look?” Adrien asked her while striking a pose.</p>
<p>Marinette tilted her head and made a frame with her fingers. “Very… front cover chic”.</p>
<p>Adrien smiled at the comment and relaxed from his pose. “Thank you. Good to know that I still got it”, he said. Soon he was taken to be photographed in the first look, the jacket and leather pant combo. </p>
<p>“Great! Amazing! Now think of pasta alfredo!” The photographer kept yelling as music blared and Adrien was striking poses.  “And now place a hand on her cheek!” The photographer kept giving instructions.</p>
<p>Marinette looked on as Adrien was pulling the other model closer and as the camera kept clicking they changed into other poses. Unlike many fashion shoots, this one was supposed to sell couples looks. Looks you wore to match with your significant other. This trend was inspired by a Japanese trend in the nineties and apparently the fashion industry was trying to bring it to the western markets now. </p>
<p>Marinette was a fan of matching outfits. She had designed some of her own way back in highschool. But watching a photoshoot like this was so different from the one that she had with her friends. Lighting, a professional photographer and models! Makeup artists that would fix the make up every so often.</p>
<p>Marinette focused on her task at hand and got Adriens schedule settled for the next two weeks in just a few hours. Seems like she had a knack for ‘problem solving’. She checked the clock and saw that it was almost time for Adriens lunch. Samantha had made reservations for the week and the next week would be all Marinette.</p>
<p>“Excuse me, but Adriens on a tight schedule”, Marinette peeped behind the photographer.</p>
<p>“You can’t rush creative genius!” The photographer said and kept taking pictures of Adrien modeling in the current outfit that was more of a dark colour palette. </p>
<p>Marinette stood back and nervously shifted on her feet. Should she call the restaurant and tell them they’d be late? She looked up the restaurant and started to type in the number on her cell. Being raised in a bakery really paid off when it came to reservation etiquette.</p>
<p>A half an hour later the photoshoot was over and Adrien was hurried into taking the makeup off and dressing in his own clothes. When he walked over to Marinette he laid a hand on her shoulder.</p>
<p>“You should push him harder next time. You don’t have to worry about your position. He can’t fire you”, Adrien said to her.</p>
<p>“It’s nothing. I got the reservation pushed by an hour and I called the office and told them that the presentation would have to wait a while”, Marinette acted all professional and tried to ignore the hand on her shoulder. “They seemed happy to have more time to prepare”.</p>
<p>Adrien blinked and stared at Marinette for a few seconds. Then he smiled. “Well that’s great. Did you get my schedule for next week ready?”</p>
<p>Marinette nodded. “Two weeks. You seem to be in demand so I had to really think where the meetings would take place. I got them all to be about a ten minute drive from your office”, Marinette felt really proud of herself. She was getting the hang of things fast.</p>
<p>Adrien looked surprised but he quickly changed his stance to be more neutral. “That’s really good. So shall we?” Adrien gestured to the door.</p>
<p>Marinette took her coat and walked outside with Adrien. She saw the black private car with tinted windows and felt a sense of familiarity. Where had she seen that kind of car before? </p>
<p>Marinette reached for the car handle as Gorilla got out of the car. She stood back and let him open the door for Adrien. Marinette wasn’t sure if she was supposed to get in with him but it became clear to her that she should once Adrien made room for her next to him.</p>
<p>“This is nice”, Marinette commented on the leather seats. “I’m so used to public transport that I didn’t know a car could have such comfortable seats”, She expressed.</p>
<p>“How long is your commute?” Adrien asked Marinette.</p>
<p>“About a half an hour”, she answered and looked out the tinted windows as the car drove past the busy shopping street.</p>
<p>“Well that won’t do. You have long days ahead of you”, Adrien thought for a while. “I guess I could send in a driver to get you each morning and get them to take you home every evening”.</p>
<p>Marinette turned around to look at Adrien. “Oh no, you don’t have to do that. I can commute on my own! I don’t want to trouble you”.</p>
<p>“It would be more trouble if the bus was late or if they went on strike. And you need more time to sleep I assume”, Adrien said firmly. “It’s no problem for us.”</p>
<p>And with that the issue was solved. The car pulled over at a nice looking restaurant, a sushi place, and Gorilla opened the doors for Adrien and Marinette. As they got out Marinette could hear a high shrieky voice from behind them.</p>
<p>“Adrikins!”</p>
<p>Marinette knew that voice from somewhere. She turned slowly to see a head of blonde hair and light arms clinging to Adriens neck. Marinette was immediately vexed.</p>
<p>“Oh shit”.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So what did you think? Marinette seems to handle herself pretty well around pretty boy Adrien, for now. The next chapter will reveal more about one of our favourite mean girls and her relationships to our fair and sweet Marinette and Adrien. Leave your comments, I will be reading them and most likely replying! Kudos, bookmarks etc are all appreciated :) I have a lot of chapters to write, this is a long one you guys! Until the next one, byeee!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. An awkward lunch</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Marinette and Adrien share a table with a certain blonde who just so happens to be a mutual friend? Or is that being too generous?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Marinettes sometimes friend, sometimes enemy, Chloé Bourgeois was standing there in front of her. Could she just run away before she was noticed? Probably not. But she could always try.</p>
<p>“It’s been so long Adrikins! I’ve missed yo- Dupain-Cheng?” Chloé seemed to finally notice the dark haired girl.</p>
<p>“Yup. That’s me”, Marinette said and forced a smile on her face. </p>
<p>“What are you doing with my Adrikins?” Chloé asked Marinette and pointed a finger at her chest.</p>
<p>Marinette looked at Chloés finger and pushed it off her. “I’m Adrien Agrestes personal assistant”, she said looking the blonde in the eye.</p>
<p>“Well look at you! From a baker to an errand girl. Adrien are you having lunch here? Would you mind if I tag along, got to catch up with my girl here”, Chloé looked at Adrien with a smile laced with ulterior motives.</p>
<p>Adrien seemed a little confused by what he was witnessing, by the looks of him. “Uhh, sure. Tag along”, he said and smiled wryly.</p>
<p>Marinette was cursing her luck. For years in lycee Chloé had always bragged about being best friends with The Adrien Agreste, but she had always thought that she was exaggerating their relationship. And Chloé knew how much Marinette liked Adrien. Or more like how much she liked the Agreste Fashion House. Still, she was dreading whatever it would be that Chloé would be disclosing.</p>
<p>The trio made their way inside the sushi restaurant and they were sat together in a booth, Chloé taking a seat next to Adrien, coming in between him and Marinette.</p>
<p>“Adrien, can you believe that Marinette and I go way back. Like, elementary school back”, Chloé said and twirled a curl around her finger. “OMG it’s been like, what, 16 years?”</p>
<p>“15 actually”, Marinette mumbled in her uncomfortable state.</p>
<p>“Well you two must be really close then”, Adrien said.</p>
<p>“Not really”, Marinette rebutted but Chloé raised her hand to stop her.</p>
<p>“Oh, totally. I’m not surprised that she’s working for you now. She was totally ob-sessed with you”, Chloé said and called the waiter over.</p>
<p>“Can I get the Green Dragon sushi plate? Oh and Adrien here will have the same, thanks”, Chloé said as she gave the waiter the menus.</p>
<p>“What about you, miss?” The waiter asked Marinette who was feeling a little out of her element. Sushi wasn’t something new to her, but she’d never been to a sushi place above 3 stars.</p>
<p>“Uhh…”, she looked over to Adrien who seemed to catch her uncertainty.</p>
<p>“I think she’ll take your classic sushi plate, right?” Adrien offered.</p>
<p>Marinette smiled softly and nodded. “Yes, thank you”, she said to the waiter. </p>
<p>Soon a bottle of white wine was brought to their table and Chloé wasted no time on pouring herself and Adrien a glass. </p>
<p>“Marinette shouldn’t drink. She’s got those pesky genes of hers, can’t handle alcohol”, Chloé said and thrusted the other glass to Adrien.</p>
<p>Marinette was fuming. That was a racial stereotype that was totally uncalled for. And the reason she shouldn’t be drinking wasn’t that she can’t handle alcohol, but that it’s only 1PM and she’s on the clock.</p>
<p>Adrien looked a little embarrassed about the whole situation. “I’m actually working, Chloé. I shouldn’t be drinking”, Adrien explained as he declined the drink.</p>
<p>“Oh but Adrikins, it’s only one flute”, Chloé kept on insisting. Maybe the trash magazines were right about her party lifestyle and her ‘boozing’. It was rather sad actually.</p>
<p>The waiter brought their sushi plates to their seats which served as an escape for Adrien who quickly gave the glass to the waiter when Chloé was distracted.</p>
<p>“Adrikins, how was New York? It’s been months since we last saw each other at Fashion Week”, Chloé asked as she fumbled with her chopsticks.</p>
<p>Marinette took a salmon nigiri and pushed it into her mouth as she listened in on Adrien and Chloé.</p>
<p>“New York was fine. A lot of shoots and meetings, but that’s the same here too. Speaking English with everyone was something I was scared to do”, Adrien said as he enjoyed his lunch.</p>
<p>“Oh but you’re so good at languages! You even taught me some Mandarin”, Chloé said and smiled brightly at Adrien.</p>
<p>Seeing her interact with him made her seem nicer, warmer… Less Chloé like. She seemed to really care about Adrien, and Adrien seemed to enjoy her company for the most part.</p>
<p>“Well, I tried. Marinette, do you speak Chinese? Cheng is a Chinese lastname, right?” Adrien asked and Marinette perked up.</p>
<p>“Uhh, no I don’t speak Chinese, sadly. But my mom does, with her parents”, Marinette said and poked at her food with the chopsticks. </p>
<p>“That’s too bad. Maybe you can learn? It’s never too late”, Adrien said while smiling softly at Marinette. That smile was infectious, so very infectious.</p>
<p>“Yeah, maybe”, Marinette smiled back.</p>
<p>The rest of the lunch went by with not too much stuff happening. Chloé didn’t seem to remember that Marinette was there halfway through the meal and she talked Adriens ear off about her big party plans for New Years and how he should “like, totally come”. Marinette was happy to just eat quietly in their company as long as she wasn’t being picked on.</p>
<p>“I think it’s time for us to go. It was fun seeing you Chlo”, Adrien used the nickname smoothly. Chloé hugged Adrien tight and told him to call her every now and then and not just ghost her.</p>
<p>Marinette got up and went to pay for their lunches, when Adriens arm appeared from behind her. “I’ll take care of it, you don’t have the company card yet”, he explained, calm and collected.</p>
<p>She could feel his chest against her back. She was frozen in place, with her hands stuck to her sides. Was that his breath that she could feel on her neck? But as soon as the feeling came to her, it went away. Adrien had taken a step back and that weird sensation was left tingling on her body.</p>
<p>She turned to Adrien who was already checking something on his phone, completely unscathed. This made her realise she didn’t know where they needed to go next. She called the driver to come over and she started going over the schedule for the rest of the day.</p>
<p>2PM-3PM - Presentation </p>
<p>3PM-5PM - Study</p>
<p>5PM-7PM - Fencing  </p>
<p>7PM-8PM - Dinner</p>
<p>8PM-11PM - Research</p>
<p>Marinette did recall Adrien taking fencing lessons, from hearing about it on an interview way back in lycée. But what did Adrien have to study? He wasn’t in university, or enrolled anywhere else for that matter. </p>
<p>The car drove over and Gorilla opened the door for the two again. Apparently Gorilla knew where they needed to go, based solely on the fact that the car was speeding down the narrow streets towards the HQ building. </p>
<p>Marinette played with a ballpoint pen, making clicking sounds with it. “You’ll be studying for a few hours”, Marinette said slowly. “This might be a stupid question, but what are you studying for?” She asked and kept nervously clicking the pen.</p>
<p>“Business stuff. Father wants me to take over some day but I don’t have time for business school”, he explained, eyeing the pen in Marinettes hand. “You okay?”</p>
<p>Marinette stopped and turned to look at Adrien. “Yeah! Why would you think I’m not okay?”</p>
<p>Adrien gestured towards the pen. “You didn’t seem all too comfortable at lunch either”, he said.</p>
<p>Marinette put her hands down on her lap. “It’s nothing. Chloé and I have… A difficult relationship”, she tried to downplay their dynamic.</p>
<p>“You and me both”, Adrien laughed softly. “She’s a good friend, but can be a little… Much”, he said and smiled to himself.</p>
<p>Marinette didn’t know what to say. Chloé and her, they had their moments. For most of their school years Chloé picked on her, made her feel bad about herself. But Chloé had been a friend back in elementary school. Marinette wasn’t sure, but she thought that Chloés parents arguing and threatening divorce every two minutes might be why Chloé changed from someone nice to someone… Not nice. </p>
<p>The car pulled over in front of the Agreste Fashion House HQ, both Marinette and Adrien got out of the car and went in. Marinette had a lot of work to get done and Adrien, well he had his fair share of things to keep him busy for the rest of the day.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So I've been really swamped with reading for entrance exams and figuring out my schedule, talking to my employers about maybe going back to work soon and just trying to keep myself sane after 6 whole weeks of not going further than the grocery store. Updating is going to slow down a little but I'm sure the next chapter will be released within a week, since I'm already halfway through writing it. I hope you are all safe and healthy, that you're sleeping and eating well in this time. I hope that my writing can be an escape from this weird reality that we are living in right now. Well I'll leave you with this and come back with chapter 7 soon :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Do meet your idols!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>They say you shouldn't meet your idols, but in Marinette's case it might just be the best thing that's happened to her.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Wednesday rolled around and Marinette was slowly feeling more and more like she was doing well at her job. Sure, it was only her third day on the job but she had already shown promise with her organisational skills. Today was an exciting day for Marinette. If she understood correctly Adrien was to have a meeting with the Tsurugis of the Tsurugi Foundation and she would be sitting in on their lunch meeting. She had heard a lot of good things about the Tsurugi Foundation and their involvement in charitable organizations. </p>
<p>Marinette put her hair up in a bun and put on some makeup, staring at her reflection in the mirror. She was brought back to one time that she went to a movie premiere as a caterer with her parents. Adrien had been in attendance, but she never got closer than getting a glance at him. She had been what, fifteen back then? She remembered almost making a fool of herself by constantly looking around for Adrien and tripping up while holding a tray full of cupcakes.</p>
<p>Her phone let out a notification sound and she picked it up.</p>
<p>Appointment with Dr. Irwing tomorrow at 11!</p>
<p>“Shit. How did I forget about that?” She asked herself and slammed her hand to her face. “I can’t just reschedule, can I?” </p>
<p>There was a moment of silence.</p>
<p>“Great. I’m talking to myself now”, she groaned and put her phone down. She had to ask Adrien if she could use the time that he went to lunch tomorrow for ‘personal use’. As if she had the guts to do so.</p>
<p>She raced to get ready, tying her shoes and getting to her door when she remembered that Adrien had arranged for a towncar to get her in the morning. She decided to spend what little time she had before the car got there to text Alya.</p>
<p>Me to Alya<br/>Morning Alz! Sorry I have to cancel dinner at my place next Saturday :/ I think boss man wants me to be @ work</p>
<p>Alya to Me<br/>Morninggg! It’s kk babes. Just bring us wine for house warming ;)</p>
<p>Me to Alya<br/>Bet! And thank youuu &lt;3 </p>
<p>Alya to Me<br/>U could also just tell me who the boss man is?</p>
<p>Me to Alya<br/>I wanna tell you! </p>
<p>Alya to Me<br/>Then do! </p>
<p>Me to Alya<br/>Sorry Alz :( </p>
<p>Alya to Me<br/>Fine, have ur secrets. I’ll find out soon enough!</p>
<p>Marinette frowned at her phone. Keeping it a secret that she was Adriens personal assistant was proving to be difficult. Alya and everyone else still thought she was a fashion intern at Agrestes. Marinette was lying to everyone in her life and she hated lying. </p>
<p>Soon she heard a car pull up next to her apartment. That made her jump up to her feet and rush downstairs. She couldn’t keep them waiting!</p>
<p>“Good morning Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng”, the driver said as he opened the door to the car.</p>
<p>“Good morning to you too, sir!” She was baffled and slid into her seat. It was a similar car to the one that Adrien used for transport, this one was just a little slimmer but just as comfortable.</p>
<p>“Mr. Agreste has arranged for me to be your driver for the time being. My name is René Malet, you may call me Mr. Malet. Here is my phone number. Call me when you need a ride”, Mr. Malet said as he gave her his business card. </p>
<p>Marinette added the number to her contacts and pocketed the business card for safe keeping. She slumped into her seat and took in a deep, heavy breath. This driver was very professional, old fashioned even. It wasn’t something that she was used to.</p>
<p>After the very awkward drive to the office, Marinette was in need of a good cup of joe. She rushed to the elevators and just as the doors were sliding shut, an arm stuck in between the doors.</p>
<p>“Ow! Fucking hell”, an accented voice muttered as the doors opened up again.</p>
<p>Marinette moved to make room for whoever it was that was in a rush to get into the elevator with her, keeping her gaze on the floor.</p>
<p>“You should have just waited for the next one Jagged”, a female voice mused and Marinettes head snapped up.</p>
<p>“Jagged?” She chirped and immediately covered her mouth, mortified she had let such a sound out of her mouth.</p>
<p>“The one and only!” Boomed the legendary singers words as he got in the elevator with a woman and a… Crocodile? Alligator? She wasn’t sure of the difference. Both were scary options.</p>
<p>Marinette tried not to look at the 6 feet creature just chilling on the floor and the only thing to stare at that wasn’t going to end up embarrassing was forward. </p>
<p>“I take it you’re a fan?” Jagged Stone striked a smile and took out a pen. “I’ll gladly autograph something for you miss”.</p>
<p>“Uhh… Marinette?” Marinette blinked and turned to look at him. Penny laughed lightly.</p>
<p>“Are you telling or asking?” She said and shook her head. “Sorry, Jagged here just assumes everyone is a fan of his”.</p>
<p>“Because everyone is, Penny”, Jagged puffed his chest out.</p>
<p>“I’d love an autograph!” Marinette let out, pulling out her phone and showing him the Jagged Stone DIY phonecase she had made.</p>
<p>“I told ya Penny, everyone’s a fan”, Jagged smirked and took a look at the case. “Hey look, Pen! This looks really cool. Where’d you get this Marinette? It doesn’t look like official merch”.</p>
<p>Reeling from the fact that Jagged remembered her name, said it and asked her a question Marinette’s head was on overload.</p>
<p>“Make it I did”, she said, caught herself and cringed. “I mean, I made it. The official ones sold out so quickly and I was feeling crafty”.</p>
<p>Jagged smiled and nodded along. “I see you have an eye for this sorta stuff. Makes sense why you’d work at a fashion house”.</p>
<p>Penny took a look at the now autographed case and hummed. “It does look more like you than our last designs…” she whispered to him.</p>
<p>It was like a lightbulb went off in his head and he turned to Marinette and loudly proclaimed the following:</p>
<p>“YOU SHOULD DESIGN MY NEXT ALBUM COVER”</p>
<p>Both Marinette and Penny were left speechless, the elevator doors opened and the alligator/crocodile (Marinette really didn’t know the difference) made its way out.</p>
<p>“Uhh… Okay?” Marinette said and a smile spread on her face. “I-I would love to do that”.</p>
<p>“Awesome! Here’s Pennys info, she’ll send you the details”, Jagged said and presented Marinette with a business card. The second one for the day.</p>
<p>“Thank you so much”, Marinette blushed and stared at the card in awe. Before she knew it, Jagged, Penny and the scary big lizard were out of the elevator and the doors were sliding shut again.</p>
<p>“Ah!” She yelped, stuck her hand between the doors this time and jumped out of the elevator. She was secretly glad that the trio had made their way into one of the office rooms already so no one was there to witness the look on her face.</p>
<p>Marinette looked around, only now finding herself questioning why the rock star was at Agreste Fashion House in the first place. His style didn’t really match the clean cut yet futuristic look of Gabriels designs. She made her way to the nearest coffee maker and poured two cups of coffee, one for her and one for Adrien. Adriens cup, black, of course and hers with two sugar cubes and creamer. </p>
<p>“Good morning Mr. Agreste”, Marinette said as she waltzed through the doors only to find Jagged and co sitting with Adrien in his office. They all turned to look at her, Jaggeds face in a smile and the rest looking a little startled.</p>
<p>Frozen in place she hesitated. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know you had a meeting planned. I’m so so sorry, I should’ve known, it wasn’t on my planner…”, hesitation melted into rambling.</p>
<p>“It’s okay Marinette, this was quite ex tempore”, Adrien said and waved her inside while Penny refocused on a stack of papers on her lap.</p>
<p>Marinette laid the cup of coffee on the desk and apologised once more, stealing a glance at Jagged who winked at her. She blushed and straightened up, scurrying to her own desk.</p>
<p>“We had the pleasure of meeting Marinette in the elevator. I didn’t know designers brought you coffee Adrien Agreste”, Jagged smirked and leaned on the seat.</p>
<p>“Oh no, Marinette Dupain-Cheng is my PA”, Adrien said and raised an eyebrow, looking at Marinette who was trying to calm down at her desk.</p>
<p>“Oh, well I must have been mistaken”, Jagged said, realising that maybe there was more to this story than he first thought. “She’s so stylish I made an assumption”.</p>
<p>Adrien nodded and a smile graced his face. “I don’t blame you, this is a fashion house”, it seemed as though he was willing to just gloss over that awkward interaction.</p>
<p>“Maybe we should get back to the topic at hand?” Penny said and Marinette could swear she saw her lightly nudge Jagged Stones leg with her own.</p>
<p>“Ah yes. Gabriel Agreste called Penny yesterday evening and told her that you needed someone to play at the charity event on New Years. As you must know, I’m all for charity and a good party”, Jagged said and looked Adrien dead in the eye. “I only have one condition”.</p>
<p>Adrien seemed taken aback by this, but he still seemed gathered. “Okay, what is it?”</p>
<p>“I’m hosting an event of my own in two weeks and I want you and that lovely lady over there to be in attendance”, Jagged pointed towards Marinette.</p>
<p>“Who? Me?” Marinette spun in her chair to look at them.</p>
<p>“Yes. And I hope that you can allow her some time to do some work on the side, you see, I want her to design the album cover for my upcoming album! The event would be my album release party slash charity ball for kids with immunodeficiencies”, Jagged continued, while Penny was amused by his antics.</p>
<p>Adrien looked dumbfounded. “I uhh… I can’t speak for Marinette, I don’t know if she would want some extra work on her plate, she just started here”, he looked over at Marinette.</p>
<p>“No, I told them already that I’d love to!” Marinette said and sheepishly smiled. “Sure, I didn’t know that it would end up being involved in something like this when I agreed…”</p>
<p>Adrien hummed and thought for a while. “So you’ll play at our event if Marinette designs your album cover and we show up at some fancy release party?”</p>
<p>“Yes, I thought that was already established”, Jagged said. “Before I just wanted to see if you had any designer up to this task but it seems like fate put Marinette and us in the same elevator at the right time”.</p>
<p>Marinette was blushing, receiving such high praise was something she wasn’t used to. </p>
<p>“Well since Marinette already agreed to it I guess it makes my part in this quite easy”, Adrien said and smiled softly at Marinette. </p>
<p>“I have the regular paperwork here, we can draw up the other legal papers with your legal team Mr. Agreste”, Penny said and laid some forms on the desk.</p>
<p>Adrien signed the papers, Jagged left a memory stick with the albums music on it with Marinette and soon it was just the two of them alone in his office. The silence was unsettling, Marinette could see Adrien shuffling in his seat.</p>
<p>Marinette glanced at the clock and walked over to Adriens desk. “Would it be okay for me to use the time you use for lunch for personal reasons?” She asked and fiddled with her thumbs nervously.</p>
<p>Adrien looked up at her and then nodded. “Okay. Is something wrong?” He asked.</p>
<p>Marinette shook her head profusely. “No no, I just have an appointment I couldn’t reschedule”, Marinette explained, chipping away at her nailpolish.</p>
<p>Adrien stared at her hands and frowned slightly. Marinette could almost hear the clogs turning inside his head. “That was all for me. Do you need anything?” She tried deflecting.</p>
<p>“You could fit that event into my schedule and contact my fathers assistant for my tuxedo”, he said and Marinette nodded, walking back to her desk to handle the task at hand. Maybe she could start listening to the songs after she got this done.</p>
<p>She still couldn’t believe that she was going to design the album cover for THE Jagged Stone. She would get to listen to the album in advance. She was going to the release party! Things were really looking up for miss Marinette Dupain-Cheng.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hey everyone.<br/>First, I am so sorry I was gone for so long after promising to update the story in a week or two. To be completely honest, I lost all motivation to write anything after some things happened in my personal life and I took time off from fandom to deal with my depression and anxiety. It's a struggle that I still continue to face daily, but now I feel more positive about my writing and I don't see it as a failure on my part. I am so happy that the 6 chapters that I wrote before this one have brought even a little bit of happiness and a distraction to anyone reading my works! </p>
<p>Second, my writing might be a little different in form since it has been about 4 months since I dropped off the face of the earth. It may be a little evident somewhere along the middle of this chapter, actually! The plot however is still intact, thanks to planning ahead of time so the change in style shouldn't affect the storyline itself.</p>
<p> I'll be taking this whole writing thing a bit slower this time, and not putting myself on a schedule. I hope you will stick around and find a little bit of joy in my writings &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Click</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Adrien unveils a secret while thinking about his miserable personal life.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Adrien stared at the black screen of his phone, waiting for anything from his father. A message saying “Good job for securing Jagged Stone” wouldn’t hurt, though in reality it was Marinette who was to thank for that.<br/>

He wondered if she was artsy. In fact, he hadn’t seen her resumé and just blindly trusted Sam to make the right decision. It didn’t seem like her instincts had been wrong, but now he was finding himself mystified by who Marinette was and what her background is. She went to school with Chloé but other than that she was an enigma of sorts.<br/>

Adrien remembered the appointment that Marinette had. She seemed really nervous about it. Looking at the now empty seat at Marinettes station he sighed deeply. “I just hope she isn’t sick”, he said out loud.<br/>

His lunch hour had started fifteen minutes ago and Marinette had asked him politely if she had to do anything before she rushed off to that mysterious appointment of hers. Now he was stuck alone in his humongous office with a kale salad without dressing. What a drab life.<br/>

Don’t get it wrong, Adrien knew fully well that he was privileged in his life. He had job security, he was born into a wealthy family and well, if we want to be real, he was a white cis man in power. But he was also very sheltered, kept away from the world. He had his first sip of wine at sixteen but he had yet to even touch a beer or a shot glass. He had never dated anyone, only had dates set up for him by his dad and they had all been disasters.<br/>

One girl only talked about how she helped fashion victims by pointing out their flaws and giving them the card of her super expensive plastic surgeon. Adrien had nothing against plastic surgery, but he wasn’t into her rudeness and plain bad attitude towards people she described as ‘tragique’.<br/>

And then there was the last time when the girl was under the impression that Adrien was going to ask her to marry him on the first date. She had left the restaurant in tears after he explained that this wasn’t what was going to happen and he had gotten an earful from his father the next day.<br/>

He was fully aware that this meeting with the Tsurugis was likely just another attempt at finding a woman ‘suitable for the Agreste brand’ to hitch to his side for publicity. And with the track record of his past dates he wasn’t too optimistic about this one either.<br/>

Setting aside his half eaten lunch he closed his eyes for a moment and imagined himself in a room filled with people. These people were all smiling and talking amongst each other, waving at Adrien as he walked around. He saw a blonde haired woman, facing the other way, wearing a blue dress and carrying a fan. He approached her and as he touched her shoulder she seemed to melt away.<br/>

Adrien opened his eyes and bit his tongue. Great. Now he was daydreaming about some woman at some party that didn’t make sense. Was she someone important? Or just a figment of his imagination he conjured up in his lonesome?<br/>

Adrien threw the rest of his lunch in the garbage and scrolled through his phone. Still nothing from his father. Just a notification on his calendar.<br/>

“Dr. Irwing?” he said under his breath and furrowed his brows.<br/>

He pulled up Google and put the name in the search engine.<br/>

RENOWNED PSYCHIATRIST DR IRWING WINS AWARD FOR HER RESEARCH ON CLINICAL ANXIETY<br/>

Something clicked in Adriens head. This was Marinette's appointment, wasn’t it? It would explain her jumpy demeanor around him. She had anxiety.<br/>

Adrien who was usually quite clueless when it came to basically anything was now onto something. Praise the entity that gives us brain cells! He pulled out the contract that he had written for himself and his personal assistants and checked the section that spoke of health related absences.<br/>

He dialed a number on his phone and after it rang twice someone picked up.<br/>

“It’s Adrien. I want to rewrite some legal documents.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Soooo... It's short, I know. First few weeks of classes are hectic, with the Japanese exam next Monday so I just wanted to get this out here for you guys before I drown in hiragana and Asuka-Showa periods. Also the formatting might be worse than usual thanks to my computer insisting I copy-paste everything sentence for sentence.</p><p>Your feedback is always appreciated, I love to hear from you and what you think is going to happen or what the characters are thinking.</p><p>Stay safe, and until the next chapter! &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Page 22</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Marinette goes to her appointment and is hit by a storm of emotions.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Marinette hurried over to her appointment with the one, the only, Dr. Irwing. The clinic was small and quiet, but fancy. Dr. Irwing had been a Godsend when she was in her last year of high school and if it wasn’t for the support of her parents she couldn’t afford such expensive care from such an accomplished psychiatrist. </p>
<p>“Marinette, come on in”, a friendly voice called out to her. Marinette walked into the room that was decorated as if this wasn’t a clinic but someones home. She sat down on a brown cushioned couch and grabbed a small rubber ball from a bowl of stress toys.</p>
<p>“You seem to be on edge today Marinette”, the woman, Dr. Irwing that is, said while holding a notepad.</p>
<p>Looking at the older woman, Marinette nodded slightly. Dr. Irwings graying hair was down and laid on her shoulders and she wore bright orange glasses that made her green eyes pop nicely. She was a very put together kind of lady.</p>
<p>“I started a new job”, Marinette said.</p>
<p>“That’s great. You got the job at Agrestes, right?” Irwing smiled.</p>
<p>“Not exactly… I mean I do work for Agreste but not as a fashion intern”, Marinette said. “I don’t know if I’m allowed to say… I signed all this paperwork”.</p>
<p>“Patient doctor confidentiality. If this information isn’t dangerous to you or other individuals I can’t report it to anyone, you know this Mari”, Irwing said and clicked her pen. “You do not have to force yourself”.</p>
<p>“I know! It’s just that… I am the personal assistant to Adrien Agreste”, Marinette whispered the last part.</p>
<p>Irwing stared at Marinette for a few seconds and then broke the silence. “How does that make you feel?”</p>
<p>Marinette hated that question. It was the leading question to a lot of revelations in the past. From her wanting to go to fashion school to dating Luka to breaking up with him. That question seemed to always end with her making some big life altering decisions.</p>
<p>“I feel… Weird”, she said quietly.</p>
<p>“Why is that?” The pen wasn’t moving yet.</p>
<p>“Because my boss is Adrien Agreste… The man that I used to dream about when I was in high school. I fear that I might make him uncomfortable”.</p>
<p>Irwing looked at Marinette and sighed softly. “I understand your concern, but you really need to focus on yourself. Focus on you being comfortable, not on whether or not someone else is uncomfortable. I know this has been hard on you in the past but we have made some great progress in the last few years.”</p>
<p>Marinette sniffled and wiped her nose. “I know… I just don’t know how to look past that childhood crush”, she admitted.</p>
<p>Dr. Irwing smiled and wrote a few things down. “You know what… I’m going to give you some advice”, she said. Marinette immediately perked up since Dr. Irwing rarely gave advice or at least not this quick into an appointment. </p>
<p>“You feel most at ease when you’re designing or creating. You’re surrounded by fashion and art at your workplace, correct? Try to incorporate the things that make you relax into your routine at work. Be it sketching out a design while answering calls or knitting in between tasks”, Dr. Irwing suggested.</p>
<p>Marinette worried her lip before speaking out. “I do have to design a cover for Jagged Stones new album”.</p>
<p>Irwing raised a brow. “Oh?”</p>
<p>“I met Jagged today at work… He really liked my designs and asked me to draw something for his next album cover”, Marinette smiled softly.</p>
<p>“That’s really great Marinette. That is a big deal”, Irwing wrote something down once more and laid her notebook on her lap. “Do you want to tell me how this happened?”</p>
<p>The rest of the appointment went by fast after Marinette got to talking about meeting her favourite artist. She went on a tangent over being scared by the crocodile (she googled the difference on her way to the appointment) and then they landed on the topic of her new schedule and when to meet up next. She put the notification on her online schedule and said goodbye to Dr. Irwing with a hug.</p>
<p>She still had some twenty minutes left until Adriens lunch was over so she ordered the car to drive to her parents bakery before she would get back to the office. As she walked into the bakery the smell of butter and bread hit her nose.</p>
<p>“It’s Mari”, she made herself known and walked to the counter. Her dad walked up to her.</p>
<p>“Heya, here for lunch?” He asked and smiled wide.</p>
<p>Marinette nodded and looked at the bread at the counter. “Do you have my favourite papa?”</p>
<p>Tom disappeared into the back and soon came back with a small brown bag. “Poppy seed buns for my princess”.</p>
<p>Marinette smiled and went behind the counter to kiss her dads cheek. “Thank you papa! I really need to go”, she said and took the bag. Tom waved her off and went back to baking. </p>
<p>She went back to the private car and sat down. She opened the brown bag and inhaled the smell of fresh bread into her lungs. She broke a piece of the bread and stuffed it into her mouth. </p>
<p>“Miss. Please refrain from eating inside the vehicle”, the gruff voice of the driver said.</p>
<p>“Ah, sorry”, Marinette mumbled through the bread and put the bag down. Marinette felt awkward with Mr. Malet. She didn’t know how to act around someone who was basically her chauffeur yet way fancier than her. </p>
<p>She felt her skin get hotter and her hands shook.</p>
<p>“You alright miss?” Mr. Malet asked.</p>
<p>Marinette shook her head and closed her eyes tightly. “Can you roll the window down or turn on the AC please?” She peeped.</p>
<p>The AC started to hum and soon the air in the back was colder than night air. Marinette shivered but her breathing became less frantic. Keeping her eyes closed she counted in her head to ten, then twenty, all the way to fifty and then she opened her eyes and felt a little better.</p>
<p>“Thank you, I- I’m fine now”, she said, embarrassed.</p>
<p>The AC went back to normal and the driver didn’t say anything. It made her think that maybe this wasn’t something out of the ordinary for him. She took out her phone and looked through the feed on her instagram. A picture caught her attention.</p>
<p>It was a picture of Juleka and Rose, celebrating their engagement. Marinette smiled and double tapped the photo. Next she looked at the comments.</p>
<p>As expected, most of the comments were congratulations and heart emojis. The whole class from lycée had already commented. She typed a short but sweet comment, promising to come to the actual engagement party bearing a cake from her parents bakery.</p>
<p>Juleka had started modelling a few years ago and had been on the covers of a few magazines, but was yet to make a huge breakthrough. Rose was a kindergarten teacher, working close to the bakery, and was apparently the one to pop the question.</p>
<p>Marinette worried her lip, gazing at the picture one more time. She wanted what they had. She wanted love that strong. She thought she had that once, but she was proven wrong.</p>
<p>Still reeling from her anxiety episode, she shook those thoughts from her mind and kept scrolling her feed until the car stopped at the office.</p>
<p>“Thank you!” Marinette said as she got out and immediately took a bite of her bun and rushed inside the building.</p>
<p>She stuffed her mouth with as much of the bread on her way upstairs and looking at herself in the mirror she fixed her hair. When she walked in through the doors, she was met with a stack of papers on her desk.</p>
<p>“What is this?” She mumbled with the bread still in her mouth, quickly covering it so the crumbs wouldn’t get everywhere.</p>
<p>“Oh, it’s just a revision of the contract”, Adrien said while reading some article off his computer screen.</p>
<p>“But we just signed a contract a few days ago?” Marinette frowned.</p>
<p>“You can go over it if you’d like. It’s just a few changes, mostly to the health insurance and leave”, Adrien looked up at Marinette, who was immediately going through the papers.</p>
<p>“What?!” She squaked and quickly tried to get to the part concerning health.</p>
<p>“Try page 22”, Adrien smiled softly while hiding his mouth behind his hand.</p>
<p>“Page 22… Oh there it is!” Marinette finally found it. “The employees health insurance covers both physical and mental illnesses and the costs that go into treating or managing them. Employee is also entitled to 2 hours a week of extra breaks for these purposes if they present the employer with the correct paperwork.”</p>
<p>Marinette stared at the print and her hand shook next to her waist. “I don’t understand”.</p>
<p>“I realised the original coverage was lacking. It only covered treatment and not managing illness”, Adrien explained. “It’s the new norm for employees working more than 38 hours a week at Agreste”.</p>
<p>Marinette swallowed and nodded. This could all be just a coincidence. There was no way that Adrien found out about her appointments and somehow wanted to help her out. </p>
<p>“That’s really kind of you and the company”, Marinette looked at Adrien, her cheeks glowing a shade of red.</p>
<p>“Now if you sign the paperwork we can make our leave to the Tsurugis estate”, Adrien said and threw on a grey coat.</p>
<p>Marinette rushed to the end to sign on the dotted line and put the papers on Adriens desk.</p>
<p>“Is there anything in particular you need before we leave?” Marinette asked.</p>
<p>Adrien took a few seconds and then answered; “Yes. If you could pick out a few accessories from our upcoming release that you like I think that could work fine”.</p>
<p>“Yes. Right away”, Marinette jolted and ran to the closet that was conjoined to the office.</p>
<p>The walls were basically covered with all the clothes from the last year, with the accessories categorised in shelves.</p>
<p>She picked out a silk scarf, a small handbag and a hat and went back to Adrien. “What do we do with these?” She asked.</p>
<p>“I’ll give them to the Tsurugis. Father always says that a gift eases negotiations”, Adrien laughed.</p>
<p>Marinette eyed the expression on Adriens face, and smiled softly. “Can’t say he’s wrong”, she said and put the accessories in a gift bag. She noticed a strain in Adriens voice when he mentioned his father. </p>
<p>Adrien cleared his throat and opened the door. “After you”, he said and Marinette quickly walked to the elevator, with the bag in her hands. They got into the elevator together and Marinette was suddenly extra conscious of her surroundings.</p>
<p>It was like Adrien was just out of reach but still close enough to radiate warmth. Her breath fluttered in her chest as she smelled the faint notes of cologne. Was it getting hot in here? The ding of the elevator and Adriens shuffling woke Marinette from the thoughts she had and then they made their way to the car.</p>
<p>She needed to figure out a way to force herself to get over this silly crush. It was only a matter of time until Adrien would see through her.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hey guys! I just could not wait to release this chapter because the next one? Probably one of the most fun chapters I have written in a while! I don't know how I managed to cram in a few hours of creative writing into my schedule with the Japanese exam in the morning but I guess when inspiration hits its good to use it. Let's see how long I can keep from releasing the next chapter. I am too excited to hear your feedback on it. That being said, feedback on this chapter is also welcome! I read the comments quite often and I may even reply every once in a while :) </p>
<p>Also a quick memo, please do not take any medical advice given to the characters in this fic as advice for your own situations! I am not a psychiatrists or a physician. I am just a student who's field of studies has nothing to do with medicine :D </p>
<p>Stay safe, stay healthy, stay indoors!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Fencing lessons</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Adrien and Marinette meet the Tsurugis and things get heated.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The drive to the Tsurugi estate was long and filled with Adrien taking calls from his fathers assistant and him trying to figure Marinette out.</p>
<p>She was truly an enigma. The way she was so jittery but now, as she was gazing out the window at the winding roads she seemed so calm and collected. The light hit her eyes and they shone a deep blue colour. Adrien had never really cared for blue especially, but right now it must have been his favourite colour.</p>
<p>Adrien tore his eyes off his assistant and focused on what he was going to ask the Tsurugis for. Tsurugis were a tech company based out of Japan and usually he would’ve been confused by a collaboration between a tech company and a fashion house but his father had assured him that this was important.</p>
<p>Adrien was to make “acquaintance” with the two Tsurugi women in the hopes that the matriarch would warm up to his father. Adrien believed that his father had ulterior motives however. The younger Tsurugi was a “woman of highest quality” as Nathalie had put it on the phone.</p>
<p>The car stopped before a large white, futuristic looking mansion and the women were standing by the door. Adrien got up as his chauffeur opened the door for him and waited for Marinette to emerge from the car as well. </p>
<p>The shorter womans eyes narrowed at the sight of Marinette and she whispered something to which the taller woman seemed to react… In a not so gentle way.</p>
<p>The duo made their way to the Tsurugis and Adrien offered his hand to be shook to the tall woman. </p>
<p>“Mr. Adrien Agreste I presume?” A cold voice boomed out of the tall frame.</p>
<p>“Yes, madame?” Adrien said. “Pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Tsurugi, Ms. Tsurugi”.</p>
<p>“Tsurugi Kagami”, the shorter woman took the hand that was extended. “And this is?”</p>
<p>Adrien quickly looked at Marinette who seemed nervous. “She’s my personal assistant, Marinette Dupain-Cheng”.</p>
<p>“I see”, Kagami said and shook her hand as well.</p>
<p>“These are for you two, from Agreste Fashion House”, Marinette said and offered the bag to Kagami who accepted it.</p>
<p>“Thank you”, Kagamis voice was distant and lacked emotion. The bag was soon whisked away by some lady.</p>
<p>“Come in”, the tall woman said and turned on her heels to walk inside. “We have tea set up in the parlour”.</p>
<p>Adrien followed the two women with Marinette on his heels. He looked around. The mansion could actually compete with his for the most sterile house in the world. Everything had a mirror like finish, and no dust was to be found.</p>
<p>“You have a lovely home”, Marinette said softly and Adrien nodded in agreement. </p>
<p>“Thank you”, said the family matriarch. “I have to say I was only expecting Mr. Agreste and not a plus one, we will have to change the china to accommodate this”.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry Mrs. Tsurugi. We should’ve informed you in advance”, Adrien smiled tightly and soon the foursome were sat at the table.</p>
<p>The lady who had disappeared with the bag was now collecting the tea cups and what seemed like a matter or seconds the set was changed and there were four cups on display.</p>
<p>Adrien looked at Kagami, with a polite smile. She seemed like a very serious woman, but he could sense that there was more to her than what meets the eye. </p>
<p>The meeting went by quickly, with them drinking tea and changing pleasantries.</p>
<p>“Forgive me, Ms. Dupain-Cheng, but I feel like I have seen you somewhere before”, Kagami said as her mother excused herself to take a business call.</p>
<p>Adrien saw Marinettes face wash with confusion. “I’m not sure where you would have seen me, Ms. Tsurugi”, she shuffled in her seat.</p>
<p>“Then it must just be my imagination”, Kagami said and smiled softly. It was like she was analysing everything Marinette said or did, studying her in a way. She had barely paid him any mind.</p>
<p>“So I heard you are quite the fenching master”, Adrien said pointedly. “I would love to spar sometime”.</p>
<p>“Will she join us?” Kagami nodded towards Marinette, who said up straight and looked down at her lap.</p>
<p>“Uhh, however you would prefer”, Adrien furrowed his brows.</p>
<p>Kagami nodded and stood up. “Then we should spar now. Unless you need time to prepare”.</p>
<p>Adrien blinked in surprise and shuffled to his feet. “Alright”, he offered his arm to help Marinette up but Kagami beat him to it.</p>
<p>“Follow me”, Kagami said and showed them to a gym in the mansion. It was the only place in the mansion so far that seemed like a well loved space, with some wear and tear.</p>
<p>Kagami threw a sparring sword at him and he caught it. “Do you need protective gear or can we get straight to it?” She asked, like challenging him.</p>
<p>Adrien smirked and looked her straight in the eye. “On Marinettes call”.</p>
<p>Marinette stood on the sidelines and soon asked what she was to do. After Adrien explained the rules to her in the simplest terms the challenge was on.</p>
<p>Kagamis moves were strong, yet elegant. He could see why she was the reigning champion in Europe. He could keep up for a while but soon he realised that Kagami was far from showing him her best.</p>
<p>In a swift movement Kagami twirled around and pointed the sword at Adriens chest. “I win”.</p>
<p>Adrien was slightly out of breath and sweat was dripping from his forehead. “You’re good”, Kagami said with a hint of something in her voice.</p>
<p>“You’re surprised?” He asked and glanced to Marinette who came over with a small towel.</p>
<p>“I didn’t think a model boy could keep up as long as you did”, Kagami said and a smile graced her face. “How about you, Ms. Dupain-Cheng? Care to try it out?”</p>
<p>Adrien saw Marinette tense up and giggle lightly. “Who, me? I’ve never even tried”.</p>
<p>“Then who better to teach you then the fencing master herself?” Kagami said and made her way to Marinette, planting her sword in Marinette’s hand. </p>
<p>Adrien watched as Kagami positioned herself next to Marinette and showed her how to stand in the correct stance. She then told her to jab at air to see how her flow was.</p>
<p>It was fun to watch, if he was being honest. Marinette was clearly not used to this and was fumbling with her hands, but Kagami seemed to take pleasure in watching her mess up. In a few minutes though, the awkwardness melted away and Marinette seemed to have fun, like she had forgotten herself. She was laughing and making playful jabs at Kagami.</p>
<p>When Marinette seemed to get it, Kagamis face lit up. “You did it Marinette! Just like that. Now you could beat Adrien if you wanted to”, she sneered.</p>
<p>Adrien grumbled and got up. “Good job Marinette. But I do think she needs more than just 15 minutes of lessons to beat me”.</p>
<p>“Trust me, she’s a natural”, Kagami said and looked at Adrien. “Fencing is about being creative and thinking on your feet. Not knowing the patterns and moves.”</p>
<p>Their eye contact was long and heated. The silence was broken by a butler clearing his throat at the door.</p>
<p>“The Mrs. apologises but she’s stuck in a meeting call in her office. If you two would be so kind as to make your leave so Ms. Kagami can get back to her studies”.</p>
<p>Adrien nodded and shook Kagamis hand. “Thank you for the sparring”, he said politely and looked to Marinette who thanked her for the impromptu lesson.</p>
<p>They made their way back to the car and Adrien sat next to Marinette in the car. “That might have been the most fun I’ve had all week”, Adrien said and looked to Marinette.</p>
<p>“Yes, that was fun”, Marinette said and looked straight into Adriens eyes.</p>
<p>He was swallowed by the deepness of them. He thpught about seeing her hold the fencing stance and becoming more confident as Kagami guided her movements. Hot. </p>
<p>“Marinette... “</p>
<p>“Yes, Adrien?” She asked quietly.</p>
<p>“T-the towel”, he shook his head and closed his eyes. Hot. “Did you leave the towel at the gym?” It was getting hot in here.</p>
<p>“Yes?” Marinette sounded confused.</p>
<p>“Damn”, he muttered and fanned his face that was growing red.</p>
<p>“Uh! Can you turn the AC on max, sir?” Marinette asked the driver.</p>
<p>“Any better?” She asked Adrien who was almost dry heaving by this point.</p>
<p>“Thank you… No need to worry, just a little hot in here”, Adrien said and collected himself. He wasn't sure what that episode was, but he knew it wasn't something he had ever experienced before.</p>
<p>Adrien wondered if Kagami was making a point with her last words to him, about not being creative or spontaneous. Was he really so stuck to old patterns? And why did he get so riled up by her? Did she do it on purpose? </p>
<p>There was an uncomfortable silence with the humming of the AC and Marinette seemingly avoiding his gaze. He needed to get her to be comfortable around him like she was with Kagami. He needed to get her to let her guard down. If that meant having to step out of his comfort zone, so be it. Maybe this way he and Marinette could be more than employee and employer. They could be friends.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hey guys! I love Kagami, she is a joy to write and imagine in these situations. I hope to bring her out in more chapters, along with some other favourites of mine. I was so excited about this chapter, hopefully you guys liked it also! I look forward to hearing from you, what do you think?<br/>I can't wait for the New York special, I hope we get some Adrienette content :) I mean, they are one of my favourite dynamics in theory alongside marichat. Only a few days to go! Aaahhh!!!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Surprise!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Adriens been acting weird and someone gets surprised!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The rest of the week after meeting with the Tsurugis was quite odd, in Marinettes opinion. It was like Adrien was doing some changes to his routine on purpose, asking for tea instead of coffee and insisting that every day they would get lunch from a different place even though all he was allowed for lunch was salad.</p>
<p>“This is getting ridiculous”, Marinette mumbled to herself as she was looking at a list of all the five star restaurants in 15 minute range from the office. Luckily Paris has hundreds of restaurants to choose from, or else she would be screwed.</p>
<p>It was now Monday, her second week of work was beginning and being around Adrien was still distracting and uncomfortable. Adrien had also taken to calling Marinette by her first name as often as possible, and making puns around her. It was weird, and Marinette didn’t know what to do about it.</p>
<p>“Have you found a place to get lunch from, Marinette?” Adrien called out.</p>
<p>Shaken from her thoughts, Marinette looked up. “Uhh, yes Adrien! I found a salad bar that has good reviews”, she said and sent the info to her boss.</p>
<p>“Mireille’s Salad Bar? Great, I’ve never been there before! Have you, Marinette?” Adrien looked excited.</p>
<p>Marinette shook her head and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I haven’t been there”, she admitted, keeping her eyes on the computer screen.</p>
<p>She could hear humming from Adrien. “Marinette… It’s rude not to look at the person you’re talking to”.</p>
<p>Marinette blushed and snapped her head towards Adrien. “I’m sorry Adrien! I didn’t mean to-”</p>
<p>“It’s okay Marinette”, Adrien said softly. “I know you didn’t mean to offend me. Just answer this one question for me.”</p>
<p>Marinette nodded and worried her lip.</p>
<p>“How do you get holy water?” Adrien asked, staring straight into Marinette’s eyes.</p>
<p>Marinette blinked and furrowed her brow. “I-I don’t know?”</p>
<p>“You boil the hell out of it! Ha!” Adrien fell back on his chair, laughing at his own joke.</p>
<p>Marinette gave a polite chuckle, smiling weakly. “Ha, good one”, she said.</p>
<p>This was beyond weird. </p>
<p>In fifteen minutes the duo was sat at a private table with big bowls of kale salad in front of them. Marinette had gone for a basic chicken combo, but Adrien decided he wanted to try the spicy prawn.</p>
<p>“Adrien, I know from experience how spicy those are. Are you sure you don’t want to switch with me?” Marinette raised a brow at the man.</p>
<p>“Are you saying I can’t handle spice?” Adrien smirked.</p>
<p>“No no! Of course not! Just that, I grew up on spicy food with my friend Nino, and I can’t always handle the spicy prawn”, Marinette rushed to explain.</p>
<p>Adrien hummed and nodded. “I’ll be fine. I’ve had my fair share of exotic dishes in my life”.</p>
<p>Marinette nodded softly and started to poke at her dish. Adrien took a bite of the salad, pushing in as much of the prawn as possible. His face quickly went red. He reached for water and Marinette cringed.</p>
<p>“You need milk. Waitor! Can we get milk here, please?” Marinette called for the waitor.</p>
<p>Adrien was coughing now, turning his face away from Marinette and their food. Marinette got up and walked behind Adrien and started to lightly tap his back.</p>
<p>The waitor ran over with a tall glass of milk and gave it to Adrien who downed it in a matter of seconds.</p>
<p>“That… Was hot”, Adrien panted and shook his head. “Guess you we’re right Marinette, this boy can’t handle the spice”.</p>
<p>Marinette frowned and sat down. “Do you want to switch with me? I haven’t taken a bite yet”, she offered.</p>
<p>“If you think you can handle this? We can really just get me a new salad, you don’t have to-” Adrien was cut off by Marinette.</p>
<p>“That would be wasteful. Let’s just switch”, she said and took the bowl from under Adriens nose and gave him hers. “I don’t mind!”</p>
<p>Marinette saw Adrien rub the back of his neck and chuckle softly. Maybe he was embarrassed? </p>
<p>Marinette could definitely taste the spice, but she could handle it just fine. Spending a few nights a week at Nino’s place eating his families cuisine and later on Alya’s parents cooking really paid off when it came to spicy food.</p>
<p>Adrien cleared his throat and started eating also, leaving them in an uncomfortable silence. The radio played in the background, and Marinette tried to focus on that instead of her boss whos back she had just touched a minute prior.</p>
<p>The radio boomed a familiar first few notes. Marinette is taken back to 5 years ago. When she was just 17 and in her first and so far only serious relationship. </p>
<p>“This is the best time of our lives, you and me, we cross the lines. You make me fall, and I fall hard, yeah girl there’s no reason to deny… That I belong to you, that you belong to me. That this song, yeah, this song is written in our melody.”</p>
<p>Luka Couffaine. Ever the romantic, Marinette mused and smiled. She remembered hearing that melody all the time when she and Luka were together. He had always said that it was her soul and his soul, wrapped into one. No wonder it was so beautiful.</p>
<p>“You like Luka?” Marinette was snapped away from her thoughts by Adrien.</p>
<p>“Hm, sorry?” She blushed and probably looked like a deer in headlights.</p>
<p>“Lukas music. You are humming the tune along to the radio”, Adrien said and smiled at her.</p>
<p>“Oh, yeah. You could say that”, Marinette said and played with her hair.</p>
<p>“This song is pretty old right?” Adrien asked and stuffed a forkful into his mouth.</p>
<p>“4 years, yeah”, Marinette hummed.</p>
<p>“I’ve met him once. A nice guy!” Adrien suddenly said, like he just remembered it.</p>
<p>“Oh, that’s cool…”, Marinette said and smiled softly. </p>
<p>“Yeah, he has his head in the clouds but man can he play. I think he played at Chloés 21st birthday last year. That’s where we met. I don’t think he played this song then, though”, Adrien mused and kept eating.</p>
<p>Marinette hummed and frowned slightly. She remembered when Luka had gone on his first tour, when his first album had come out and he was suddenly a big name. He would always close his shows by singing this song. Their song. It made sense why he didn’t sing it anymore. It had been more than two years since their breakup. She wondered why the song was back on air now.</p>
<p>“That was Luka Couffaine with the song ‘Our Melody’. Now, our listeners, we have big news to share with you all. Luka Couffaine is starting off his first world tour off, in Paris in two weeks! And from what we know, he isn’t just going to play songs from his latest album but also the first 2! Maybe all you diehard fans will get to experience the epic high that comes from hearing ‘Our Melody’ live once again!” The radio DJ hollered.</p>
<p>Marinette’s breath hitched. Adrien gave her a look and she frantically took out her phone. Luka is back in Paris? He’s not in LA anymore? </p>
<p>No new messages, so she guesses Alya nor Nino had found out yet, not to mention every single friend from lycée and collége.</p>
<p>She put her phone away awkwardly and tucked her hair behind her ear. “I’m sorry. I thought I heard my phone get a message”, she lied.</p>
<p>Adrien narrowed his eyes and hummed. “Are you sure you’re not just in a Luka Couffaine fan club and you wanted to check the updates? I wouldn’t judge you, I mean, I’m a big fan of this one small creator myself”, he said.</p>
<p>Marinette shook her head and looked down. “No fanclubs for me, sorry to disappoint”.</p>
<p>Soon her phone started to ping like crazy, which startled her. “Oh! I’m sorry, can I?”</p>
<p>Adrien waved his hand and kept on eating and Marinette took that as a yes.</p>
<p>82 NEW MESSAGES</p>
<p>Marinette sighed deeply and opened her texts app. She scrolled through the people who had texted her. Alya, Nino, Rose, Kim, Luka, Alix, Max… Wait? LUKA?!</p>
<p>Marinette scrambled to open the message from him.</p>
<p>From Luka to Me<br/>
Hey Mari! I’ll be in Paris next weekend for Jules and Rose’s party, wanna catch up? </p>
<p>Marinettes heart beat loud and fast. She typed up a text and her finger hovered on the send button. She stared intently at the screen, hoping it would make it easier on her. With a quick move of her finger the message was sent.</p>
<p>Me to Luka<br/>
Hi! I’ll be there :)</p>
<p>Marinette squeaked and immediately regretted what she had wrote. </p>
<p>“What did I just do?”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>No beta readers, we die like men. </p>
<p>So I have been swamped with writing academic papers and studying Japanese, but I found some time to write this chapter for you while on a train to visit my cat (and my family).  I hope you find this chapter fun, it was fun to write for sure! I have so many chapters planned for this fic, and we are finally introducing Luka to the picture! Please tell me what you think! Is there a line that you like, a scene that you liked best, something that was left unclear to you, anything!</p>
<p>Be safe during this pandemic, wear masks, wash your hands and talk to the people you love :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. The Agreste Mansion</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Adrien and Marinette get papped and Marinette's mental state does some somersaults. We finally get to know about Adriens mother.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>CRAP CRAP CRAP</p>
<p>Marinette was hitting herself on the head, completely unaware of Adriens gaze on her. “Stupidstupidstupid”, she mumbled.</p>
<p>“Marinette? Ms. Dupain-Cheng?” Adrien called out to her and she was finally snapped from her thoughts.</p>
<p>Her cheeks glowed red as she shrunk in her chair. “Sorry... “, she said.</p>
<p>“What did you do?” Adrien asked quizzically.</p>
<p>“I- uhh, I might’ve sent a text that I regret”, she admitted, feeling embarrassed as all heck.</p>
<p>“Oh? Is it something bad?” Adrien frowned as his eyes laid on her small figure.</p>
<p>Marinette shook her head profusely. “No, it wasn’t anything bad… Just not exactly something I was ready to say. Can we just leave it at that?” </p>
<p>Adrien nodded softly, calling the waiter over and asking for the receipt. Marinette ate the last of her salad and tried to not think about the fact that she had told her ex that she would see him at an engagement party.</p>
<p>Would it just make the party awkward for everyone else there? Exes spending time at a party meant to celebrate the promise of marriage between one exes sister and her partner. Could she cancel? She had promised a cake. Maybe she could just drop the cake off and come up with an excuse to leave. Maybe Alya could take the cake? Would Luka bring a girl to the party? He was famous after all and she had seen the photos of him with that one Korean model at a yacht in Ibiza.</p>
<p>Okay she was failing at not thinking about that. </p>
<p>As her and Adrien left the salad bar a few random paparazzo were waiting outside, not too many, but even one is too many. Marinette didn’t know what to do, she just froze on the spot. Adriens hand found its way around hers and he pulled her into the car.</p>
<p>The flashing lights were too bright and the loud questions could still be heard inside the car. “Who is the lady with you?” “Are you two dating?” “When is the next collection coming out?” “Is it true that you are getting married to Tsurugi Kagami?”</p>
<p>Adrien groaned next to Marinette, who shielded her face from the cameras. She heard Adrien tell the driver to get them to the mansion. “We will lose the paparazzis that way”.</p>
<p>Marinette’s head felt light, her palms were sweating and her heart was beating hard. She felt like she was about to die. A hand squeezed hers and she stared at it. Adrien had kept his hand on hers and was now trying to calm her down.</p>
<p>“It’s okay Marinette… It’s going to be fine”, he said calmly, looking at her.</p>
<p>“Is it always like this?” She asked.</p>
<p>“Sometimes it’s worse. There were only a few paps this time. But don’t worry, our PR will take care of it. Those photos won’t see the light of day”, he said.</p>
<p>“Too late, sir”, the driver said and turned the radio louder.</p>
<p>“Model and son of fashion mogul Gabriel Agreste was just seen exiting a fancy restaurant with a young woman, hand in hand. Could this mean romance for a certain Adrien Agreste? But what about the rumors he is involved with the electronic empire heiress Kaga-” The radio was cut off when Adrien gave a stern look to the driver through the mirror.</p>
<p>Marinette was hyperventilating now, her eyes tearing up. “I’m so so sorry!” She cried.</p>
<p>Adrien took her other hand into his and brought them close to his lips. He then blew on them. “Don’t apologise. You have done nothing wrong”, he said quietly.</p>
<p>Marinette was taken aback and her breathing slowed down as she stared at Adrien, her boss, who was holding her hands in his.</p>
<p>“The gossip rags will have a field day, but you don’t have to worry about that, okay? This was going to happen sooner or later”, Adrien continued.</p>
<p>“Sir, we are here”, the driver said as the car came to a halt.</p>
<p>Adrien let go of Marinettes hands and she felt like her hands were cold and tingly. She looked down at her hands and sniffled. Adrien Agreste just held her hands.</p>
<p>Adrien stepped out of the car and held the door open for her. She shuffled out of the car and looked around at her surroundings. A huge mansion with hedges and a large glass window that looked like a kaleidoscope. Upon closer inspection she realised it was a butterfly.</p>
<p>“Hope you don’t mind that we will conduct the rest of work from my home”, Adrien said as he walked to the door.</p>
<p>Marinette rushed to follow him. “Of course not!” She said.</p>
<p>When they entered the building the first thing she saw was a large painting on the wall, at the top of large stairs. A woman, young, beautiful and blonde. Adriens mother.</p>
<p>Emilie Agreste had disappeared almost ten years ago, on a cold winter morning. It was all over the news. People accused Gabriel of killing her, thought that she had a secret lover and abandoned her family or that she had been taken but something went wrong. No one knew the truth.</p>
<p>It was haunting, seeing a painting of Adriens mother. He walked up the stairs, paying the painting no mind and Marinette followed suit. She felt weird about the painting, like its eyes were following her.</p>
<p>“She was beautiful”, she said quietly, not thinking Adrien could hear her.</p>
<p>“Yes… She sure was”, he said and kept his back to Marinette.</p>
<p>Marinette felt bad, it must be a sore spot for Adrien. Losing his mother when he was so young. She didn’t know if it was better he had memories of her or would it be less painful if he didn’t.</p>
<p>She felt her phone start to go off again, her friends must have seen the photos. How was she supposed to explain this one without telling them she worked for Adrien? She put her phone on do not disturb mode and they finally made it to Adriens home office.</p>
<p>The office space had quite warm colours, that contrasted off of the cold white walls of the entire mansion. Everything outside this room had been so uniform, so jagged and cold. Adriens office on the other hand was more inviting, with no sharp edges and shades of brown and orange here and there. It wasn't like the main office. Marinette maybe liked this more.</p>
<p>“There’s no actual work space for more than one person, but we can manage one desk, right?” Adrien said apologetically.</p>
<p>Marinette nodded and smiled at the man. “I can just work from the couch! I have my laptop with me, I can go through your requests”, she said.</p>
<p>Adrien striked a smile and sat down. “You really are a natural Marinette”, he said.</p>
<p>Marinette felt a blush cover her cheeks and she looked away. “Thank you… I’ll get to it now”, she said and scurried to the brown couch on the side of the room.</p>
<p>She opened up her laptop and went to her company email. She was met with emails from PR.</p>
<p>“We wish to inform Mr. Adrien Agreste and Ms. Marinette Dupain-Cheng that we have contacted the magazines that have used the pictures from this noon and asked them to take them down before we take legal action. So far only 2 web magazines have taken the articles down. We will keep you updated incase we need to go further”, she read from the email.</p>
<p>“I knew they were quick”, Adrien hummed and typed something on his laptop.</p>
<p>Marinette went over more of the emails, many of them requests for Adrien to attend different events and people asking for money. She frowned at how many of these people just tried to get ahead by having someone well known like Adrien associated with them.</p>
<p>The rest of the day went by with Marinette forgetting about the whole Luka thing. She was immersed with a selection of Adrien Agreste photos that she was supposed to look over and weed out bad ones. As if there ever were any bad ones. Usually the art department would take care of this, but they needed this done ASAP and many people had reported being sick and the department head was on maternity leave. </p>
<p>She was on pro mode, thinking about which photos showcased his best assets and made the outfits look good. </p>
<p>“How’s it going?” He asked and looked over her shoulder.</p>
<p>“Well”, she said and axed a few photos.</p>
<p>“Ouch, what was wrong with those?” Adrien asked.</p>
<p>“One was over saturated, one didn’t showcase the main element of the piece at all and one had this weird shadow on your neck that looked like a bite mark”, she said, squinting at her screen.</p>
<p>“And in this one you’re slightly out of focus”, she said and axed that one too.</p>
<p>“Huh, you’re being very particular”, he smiled and leaned close.</p>
<p>Marinette froze up for a few seconds and cleared her throat. “I have to be, can’t have pictures out that don’t fit the brand, right?” It's not like she hasn't spent hours of her life staring at pictures of him and noticed what the brand likes to showcase.</p>
<p>Adrien nodded and kept his stance next to her. “What about this one?” He asked and pointed at a photo of himself where his lower stomach was on show and the band of his Agreste Brand underwear was showing. “I think it’s a little too much”.</p>
<p>Marinette shook her head and blushed. “Believe me, this photo will go viral”, she said and skipped the picture.</p>
<p>Adrien chuckled and pulled back. “If you say so, Marinette”, he said and stayed sat next to her.</p>
<p>She finished the selection and sent the new folder back to the art team, quickly glancing at her phone.</p>
<p>“You sure are popular”, Adrien sounded amused.</p>
<p>“It’s because of the photos… My friends are asking why I was with you”, she said, half telling the truth and half lying.</p>
<p>Adrien leaned back and sighed. “I think you should tell them the truth”, he said.</p>
<p>Marinette turned to him. “Really? What about the NDA?” She asked.</p>
<p>“Better telling them the truth then making up a lie you have to keep up”, he looked at Marinette. “You don’t want them to make assumptions”.</p>
<p>So Marinette had the green light to tell her friends the truth. Now the question was, how to tell them so that they would believe her?</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>We got our first look into what the Agreste mansion is like! Next chapter will be some of the texts Marinette got and some heavier stuff as well. </p>
<p>I have been writing academic text for a week straight so going back into creative writing was way more fun. I have the next few chapters ready and my 'story outline' file got some actual written scenes into it, because I felt so inspired. I can't wait for you to read them as the story progresses!</p>
<p>Stay safe, wear a mask and wash your hands! Play among us with friends or be like me and play cards against humanity for 4 hours straight just to lose by 2 points in the end.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Text Avalanche</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Marinette finally tells Alya the truth but the confession sadly doesn't stop her insecurities from creeping in.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After Marinette got back to her apartment she finally dared to take a look at her messages. She knew that Alya was the one who had sent her at least a hundred by now, so she should leave her to when she got her story straight. A safe choice to start with would always be Nino. He was one of her oldest friends after all!</p>
<p>Nino to Me<br/>I heard he’s coming back. You ok?<br/>I know this must be awkward for you</p>
<p>"You have no idea...", Marinette mumbled and kept reading.</p>
<p>Nino to Me<br/>Alya’s freaking out<br/>She’s been trying to call but I guess you’re at work<br/>I got her to stop for now</p>
<p>Marinette could imagine Alya yelling at her phone, telling her to pick up.</p>
<p>Nino to Me<br/>Please be ok<br/>We saw the pictures<br/>Alyas freaking out again<br/>Nice going Mari, snagging model boy<br/>He’s hot</p>
<p>Marinette read through the messages and felt every emotion from embarrassment to affection. Nino was worried and he made jokes at the same time. She could tell he meant business because he didn’t text like he usually did. No emojis, no abbreviations. </p>
<p>Me to Nino<br/>I’m ok. Little shaken.<br/>I’m not going out with Adrien, the photo is taken out of context<br/>And Luka… I told him I’d see him at the engagement party</p>
<p>It only took Nino less than a minute to write back</p>
<p>Nino to Me<br/>Happy to know you’re ok! Too bad about model boy, you looked cute together. <br/>Do you think you’re ready to see him again?<br/>Luka I mean</p>
<p>Me to Nino<br/>That’s the million euro question</p>
<p>Nino to Me<br/>If you need me I’ll make sure you get space from him</p>
<p>Me to Nino<br/>Thanks Nino :)</p>
<p>Nino to Me<br/>Anything for you Mari :D </p>
<p>Marinette smiled softly, grateful to have a friend like Nino. Nino had lived across the street from her when they were small kids and they went to the same schools until college. He was probably her first friend, with Kim and Alix of course, but Nino was always the closest to her.</p>
<p>She then went through more of the messages, telling people she was okay and that the pictures weren’t what they looked like. It was exhausting, but kind of nice knowing so many people cared. Even her parents had tried to call, but running a bakery is busy work. She made a mental note to call them once they were closed.</p>
<p>And then there was Alya. Sweet, way too passionate, always ready to defend Marinette's honor, Alya.</p>
<p>Alya to Me<br/>Mari<br/>U ok???<br/>I swear to god if he hurts u<br/>Luka is nice and all but he been slutting it up in Cali recently<br/>Like with that Eun Jung girl</p>
<p>Marinette winced at that, she knew Alya was trying to be supportive but thrashing her exes new girlfriend didn't make her feel better.</p>
<p>Alya to Me<br/>Did he message u?<br/>DO NOT ANSWER HIM<br/>At least until we talk</p>
<p>Too late.</p>
<p>Alya to Me<br/>ANSWER ME MARI<br/>PLEASE BE OKAY BABE<br/>Nino told me to calm down<br/>Like I can when my besties ex is coming to town</p>
<p>The texts kept going on and on about a plan to avoid Luka and what Marinette should text him. Too bad the plan was too late by now. And then came the caps lock. </p>
<p>Alya to Me<br/>MARI<br/>YOU ANS ADRIEN<br/>LIKE THE ADREIN AGRESTE<br/>THE ONE U HAVE A WEDDING SCRAPBOOK OF<br/>I NEED A DAMN MINUTE</p>
<p>The messages went on and on, Marinette could see that Alya was worried, then excited over Adrien Agreste. Marinette had tried to forget that darn scrapbook. Some may find this amount of texting jaunting, but Alya was never one to spare words and Marinette loved her for it. Most of the time.</p>
<p>She sighed deeply, debating on what action to take here. She could just text her that she’s fine and be bombarded with questions, or she could call her and tell her she’s fine and be bombarded with questions.</p>
<p>Not having the energy to type sentences long enough to explain the situation she hit the call button and laid on her bed.</p>
<p>“MARI!” The phone got to ring once before Alya picked up.</p>
<p>“Hey Alz. I’m okay, I swear”, Marinette started.</p>
<p>“Well from the pictures I’d say you’re more than okay. Adrien Agreste and you?!” Alya sounded excited and like she was jumping up and down.</p>
<p>“Calm down Alya! I’m not together with Adrien Agreste”, she grumbled in embarrassment.</p>
<p>“Then why is he holding your hand on the front page of the Paris Electronic News?” Alya egged.</p>
<p>“I’ll tell you, but you can’t ask any questions okay. I can’t answer them”, she said.</p>
<p>“This sounds suspicious. Are you being held against your will by the Agrestes so that they can use your fabulous sense of style to sell millions of garments?” Alya gasped.</p>
<p>“No Alya! I’m serious, it's nothing like that. I just can’t go into a lot of detail because of legal reasons”, Marinette explained.</p>
<p>She was met with an unsuspecting silence and she took that as the go to tell her story.</p>
<p>“So you know me, always fumbling and making an idiot out of myself. I applied for the wrong job at Agrestes and now I am the personal assistant to Adrien Agreste. I can’t say too much because Adriens schedule and private information has to stay between him and the ones that work for him. It’s a whole deal. But I can assure you that there is nothing romantic going on. He just saw me get anxious in front of the photographers and he got me into the car”, she spewed out. </p>
<p>“Mmhmm”, came a sceptic hum from Alya. “Okay… Mademoiselle miraculous PA Marinette Dupain-Cheng”, Alya sneered. </p>
<p>Marinette groaned. “You know I can just never talk to you again”, she threathened.</p>
<p>“You love me”, Alya said. “Besides, this could be an opportunity for you to get close to Adrien. You two look good, like Brangelina".</p>
<p>“Brangelina broke up Alya”, Marinette reminded.</p>
<p>“Besides the point! They looked good together and had like a million kids. You two look good together and I swear your kids would be so cute”, Alya said.</p>
<p>Even though the thought of having Adriens babies was making Marinette feel a type of way, she had to push that thought away. “Alya, I can’t lose this job by being unprofessional towards my boss. I’d get fired if I started to flirt with him”.</p>
<p>“Fine, you have a point. I’m scared to ask, but what about Luka?” Alya asked with a slight lilt.</p>
<p>Marinette stared into nothingness. “What about him? He’s just Luka. And just Luka is coming to Paris. And just Luka asked to meet me at his sisters engagement party”.</p>
<p>A beat of silence. And then; “HE WHAT?! Please tell me you didn’t answer yet!”</p>
<p>“I said I’ll be there”, Marinette said quietly.</p>
<p>“Girl… You’re lucky I can block any attempt at any funny business. I’ll be there with you. You never know what he learned in the States!” Alya proclaimed.</p>
<p>Marinette giggled and rolled her eyes at her best friend. “I’m sure he just wants to talk. He has Eun Jung after all”.</p>
<p>“Fine, but if you need me at the scene I’ll drop everything. I’ll drop Nino, I’ll drop anything”, Alya said and a faint ‘Hey!’ could be heard in the background.</p>
<p>“Thanks Alya, I know you and Nino both have my back”, she said and felt even more blessed. “Now, get back to spending the evening with your man. I am so tired from work, I think I might pass out”.</p>
<p>“Okay babe, I’ll see you on Saturday”, Alya said and the call came to an end. </p>
<p>Marinette deposited the phone into the charger by her nightstand and she turned on her stomach. She closed her eyes and let sleep over take her.</p>
<p>“Hey Maribun. Long time no see”, a familiar voice said.</p>
<p>Marinette turned to see who it was and was met with a messy head of cyan hair. “Luka!”</p>
<p>“I know you’ve heard of Eun Jung, my girlfriend”, dream Luka said with a smile on his face. “She is so much better than you Marinette. She can do it all. She can have a career AND join me on tour. Eun Jung is so beautiful, isn’t she?” Dream Luka motioned towards Dream Eun Jung who was wearing the bright pink bikini from a paparazzi photo she had seen sometime. </p>
<p>“I can be in two places at once”, Dream Eun Jung said and suddenly there were two of them. “I can actually speak Korean like my parents. I was voted top 25 hottest women in the modeling business this year. I don’t have intimacy issues like you”, the Dream Eun Jung continued to prod at Marinettes insecurities.</p>
<p>“My life is so much better without you dragging me down Marinette. Adrien will see that soon too”, Dream Luka sneered. Suddenly their faces melted away and the edges of Marinettes dream started to fray.</p>
<p>Marinette woke up in cold sweat, her heart beating like crazy in her chest. That nightmare had seemed so real at first… And then it had totally destroyed her.</p>
<p>Real Luka wouldn’t say any of the things that Dream Luka said, would he?</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Okay soooo I am not a fan of texting formats, I try to avoid them as much as possible, but sometimes you have to step out of your comfort zone. Do not be afraid, these types of chapters will not be a staple, just like they haven't. I'll be the first to admit that the first half is a bit rough, but I do feel like this chapter was needed and that the second half gets way better. Anywho, I like to hear your feedback! </p>
<p>OH ALSO THIS FIC IS OFFICIALLY OVER 50 PAGES HURRAY</p>
<p>Stay safe, stay healthy, eat your greens, go for a walk, pet dogs and cats. Thank you for reading so far!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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